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MA. 

IS l5 



RECOMMENDATIONS, 



Mr. Potter, 

Where the works of Matthew Mead are knowa 
they need no man's recommendation. — They meet a 
good testimony in every man's conscience. — Himself aa 
experienced and practical christian, he meets the appro- 
bation of every soul anxious about its eternal state. The 
little treatise of his which you have republished is one of 
his most valuable works. In this he has shewn himself 
" a master in Israel — a workman that needeth not to be 
ashamed." No man can read " The Almost Christian,** 
with seriousness and attention,without knowing something 
more of his state than he did before. The nature and 
fruits of a gracious state are delineated with accuracy, 
plainness and fidelity — The author's object is to make 
the reader prove himself; and if I am not widely mis- 
taken, he has fully succeeded. At the present day, when 
many things-are p Imed on community as the genuine 
fruits of the operation of the Spirit of God — when the 
grounds : inner's acceptance with God, are so much 
misunderstood, and so many are satisfied with a mere 
" name to live labile dead," this treatise is highly season- 
able — 1 cheerfaUy recommend it to every man who feels 
the necessity and importance of preparing to met^thte 
God— A few shillings cannot be disposed of to better 
advantage. 

Yours, &c. 

CORNELIUS C. CUYLER, 
Pastor of the Reformed Batch Church, Poughkeepsie. 



Mr. Potter, | ' V « ' 

T on could not well have oetter subserved the 
inter/ r rue and undefined religion, thai by ptjbl dung 
that it** nt treatise of Matthew Mead, entitled The 
Almost Christian," It is not only replete with pithy, sen- 



fentious remarks and most happy illustrations of scripture, 
but it contains the best directory for self examination, 
and is the best suited to the general mass of readers, I ev- 
er met with. This work must be acceptable at any time, 
much more so at this period, wherein God hath so remark- 
ably revived his work in the midst of us. Old profess- 
ors will find their hearts much stirred up, and young con- 
verts especially, will find it their interest, seriously and 
prayerfully to peruse this precious volume. 

This work has received the approbation of the pious 
for a great number of years, and has been translated into 
the Dutch language, and for aught I know, into the lan- 
guage of other nations. The merits of the book are not 
generally known amongst us, owing to its extreme scarci- 
ty, y name may be of some service to its spread, a- 
mong those with whom my recommendation has some 
influence ; anil that influence, small and insignificant a3 
it maybe, I feel it my duty to embark in the circulation 
of a work so little known, and so much wanted, especial- 
ly by those who are concerned about their future and e- 
iernal welfare. 

Your sincere friend and well wisher, 

CORNELIUS D. WESTBROOK, 
Pastor of the Reformed Dutch Church at Fishkill village. 

ESSAYS TO DO GOOD. 

P. POTTER has just received and offers for sale at his 
Bo3kstore, Poughkeepsie, Essays to do Good, addressed 
to all christians, whether in public or private capacities. 
by the late Cotton Mather, D. D. F. R. S. 

The celebrated Philosopher and Statesman* DocL 
Benjamin Franklin, has borne his testimony to the high 
merit of this work, in the most unqualified terms. The 
fol- owing extract is from a letter vritten by Doct. Frank- 
lb), to the soil of the author and is c!?.ted " Passy (in 
France,) Nov./'O, Hffi. 

" Permit me to mention one little instance, which, 
though it relates to myself, willnotbe^ quite un in teres ing 
to yo#. , ■* ffhwi T whs v bojg 1 met wx& , a book enti- 
tled, " Essays to do gbbd? wiiWn I think was written by 
year iher. It had been so little regarded by its forme; 
possessor that several leaves of it were torn out ; but the 



remainder gave me such a turn of thinking, as to have an. 
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as you seem to think, a useful citizen, the public owes 
the advantage of it to that book." 

Dr. Franklin's werks, Vol. 3. page 41 8. 

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ber on the Spirit — Mason's Remains — Owen on Spiritu- 
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Cito3-^Mason*a Spirited Treasury— Meikle's Travefre 
and Solitude Sweetened— -Redeemed Captive — MasonV 
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THE 

ALMOST CHRISTIAN 

DISCOVERED: 

oa, THE 

FALSE PROFESSOR 

TRIED AND CAST, 

BEING THE SUBSTANCE OF 

SEVEN SERMONS, 

FIRST PREACHED AT ST. SEPULCHRE'S, 
LONDON, 16S1. 

AND NOW AT THE -IMPORTUNITY OF TRIENDS 
MADE/J^UBLIC. 

BY MATTHEW MEAD. 

THE FIRST AMERICAN EDITION, 



And the Pharisees, vho were covetous, heard all these tilings, anfl 
they derided him. Luke xvi 14, 15. 

And Jesus said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves be- 
fore men ; hut God kn«weth your hearts . For that which i? 
highly esteemed amongst men, is ahominauon in the sight of God 



POUGIIKEEPSIE : 
PUBLISHED BY PARACLETE POTTER. 

P. fc S. Potter, Printers. 



M 



\b 






TO THE 

CONGREGATION j 
AT 

St SEPULCHRE'S? 

THAT W£BE THE 
AUDITORS OF THESE SERMONS. 
Grace and peace be multiplied, 

Bfxoved, 

WHAT the meaning of that Providence 
was, that called me to the occupation of my 
talent amongst you this summer, will be best 
read and understood by the effects of it upon 
your own souls ; The kindly increase of grace 
and holiness in heart and life, can only prove 
it to have been in mercy : Where this is 
not the fruit of the word, there it becomes a 
judgment. The word travels with life or 
death, salvation or damnation, and bringeth 
forth one or another in every soul that hears it. 
I would not for a world (were it in my power 
to make the choice) thatmy labours, w r hich were 
meant and designed for the promotion of your 
immortal souls to the glory of the other world, 
in a present pursuance of the things of your 
peace, should be found to have been a minis- 
tration of death and condemnation, in the 
great day of Jesvs Chbist, Yet this the 



iv Dedication. 

Lord knoweth, is the too common effect of 
the most plnin and powerful preaching of the 
gospel. " The waters of the sanctuary iy* 
do not always heal where they come, for there 
are " miry and marshy places that shall he 
given to salt," the same word is elsewhere 
in scripture rendered barrenness ; he " turn- 
eth a fruitful land into barrenness 2 f* so that 
the judgment denounced upon these miry and 
marshy places is, that the curse of barrenness, 
shall rest upon them, notwithstanding the wa- 
ters of the sanctuary overflow them. 

It is sad, hut certain, that the Gospel in- 
flicteth a death of its own, as well as the law 
or else how are those trees in Jude said to be 
" twice dead, and plucked up by the roots. 2?' 
Yea, that which in itself is the greatest mer- 
cy, through the interposition of men's lusts, 
and the efficacy of this cursed sin of unbelief, 
turneth to the greatest judgment, as the rich- 
est and most generous wine makes the sharp- 
est vinegar. Our Lord Christ himself 4 the 
choicest mercy that the bowels of a God 
could bless a perishing world withal \ whose 
coming, himself bearing witness, was no less 
errand than that of eternal life 5 and blessed- 
ness to the lost and cursed sons of Adam ; 
yet to how many was he a " stone of stum- 
bling, and a rock of offence 6 ;" yea "a gin, 
and a snare 7 ;" and that to both the houses of 
Israel, the only professing people of God at 

lEiek.*lvu.Jl. 2 Psalm cvii. 34. 

S Jude l£. 4 John iii. 16* 6 John x. 10. 

5 Uom. r. 8. 7 ls *» "• **■ 



Dedication. V 

that day in the world ? And is he not a stonfc 
of stumbling in the ministry of the Gospel to 
many professors to this very day, upon which 
they fall and are broken ? When he saith, 
44 Blessed is he whosoever shall not be offen- 
ded in me ;" he doth therein plainly suppose^ 
that both in his person and doctrine the gene- 
rality of men would be offended in him, 

Not that this is the design of Christ and 
the Gospel, but it comes so to pass through 
the corruptions of the hearts of men,- whereby 
they make light of Christ, and stand out a- 
gainst that life and grace which the Lord Je- 
sus by his blood so dearly purchased, and is 
by the preaching of the gospel so freely ten* 
dered ; the wilful refusal whereof will as 
surely double our damnation, a& the accept- 
ance thereof will secure our eternal salva* 
tion. 

G consider, it is a thing of the most serious 
concernment in the world, how we carry our- 
selves under the gospel, and with what dis- 
positions and affections of heart soul-seasons 
of grace are entertained : this being taken into 
the consideration to make it weight, that wft 
are the nearer to Heaven or to Hell,, to salva- 
tion or damnation, by every ordinance we sit 
under: Boast not therefore of privileges en- 
joyed, with neglect of the important duties 
thereby required. Remember Capernaum's 
case, and tremble 1 : As manj~ go to Heaven 
by the very grates of hell, so awe go to hell 

1 Matt, xz, id! 



Vi Dedication., 

by the gates of heaven ; in that the number of 
them that profess Christ, is greater than the 
number of them that truly close with Christ. 

Beloved, I know the preaching of the gos- 
pel hath proselyted many of you into a profes- 
sion; but I fear that but few of you are 
brought by it to a true close with the Lord 
Christ for salvation. (I beseech you bear 
with my jealousy, for it is the fruit of a tender 
love for your precious souls.) Most men are 
good christians in the verdict of their opinion j 
but you know the law alloweth no man to be 
a witness in his own case, because their affec- 
tion usually out-acteth conscience, and self- 
love balketh truth for its own interest. 

The heart of man is the greatest impostor 
and cheat in the world ; God himself adjusts 
it, Jer. xvii. 9. "The heart is deceitful a- 
bove all things." Some of the deceits there- 
of you will find discovered in this treatise, 
which sheweth you, that every grace hath its 
counterfeit, and that the highest profession 
may be, where true conversion is not. 

The design hereof is not to " break the 
bruised reed, nor to quench the smoking flax." 
Not to discourage the weakest believer, but 
awaken formal professors., I would not sad- • 
den th* hearts of any ■« whom God would not 
have made sad;" though I know it is ^ hard to 
rip up the dangerous estate and condition of 
a professing hypocrite, but that the weak 
christian will ti\ink himself concerned in the 
discovery. And therefore as I preached 



Dedication, vii 

sermon on sincerity among you, for the sup- 
port and encouragement of such, at the end of 
this ; so I did purpose to have printed it tyitb- 
this. Butwhoeanbe master of his own pur- 
poses ; that is, as I am under such daily va- 
riety of providences ! your kindly acceptation 
of this, will make me a debtor for that. 

The dedication hereof belongs to you on 
a double account : for as it had not been 
preached, but that love to your souls caused 
it ; so it had much less been printed, but that 
your importunate desire procured it ; And 
therefore what entertainment soever it iindeth 
in the world, yetlhopel may expect you 
will welcome it, especially considering it was 
born under your roof, and therefore hopes to 
find favour in your eyes, and room in your 
hearts. 

Accept it, I beseech you, as a public ac~ 
knowledgraent of the engagements which your 
"great, and, . I think 1 may say, unparalleled 
respects- have- laid me under, which I can no 
way compensate but by my prayers; and if 
you will take them for satisfaction, I do pro- 
mise to be your remembrancer at the throne of 
grace, whilst I am 

MATTHEW MEAD, 






TO THE REdDEB, 



IiEADEB> 



I KNOW how customary it is for men 
to ascend the puhlic stage with premised apol- 
ogies for the weakness and unworthiness of 
their labours, which is an argument that their 
desires (either for the sake of others profit, or 
their own credit, or both) are stretched beyond 
the bounds of their abilities ; and that they 
covet to commend thenisebes to the world's 
censure, in a better dress than common infirm- 
ity will allow : for my own part, I may truly 
say with Gideon, '■* Behold, my thousand is 
the meanest," my talent is the smallest, " and 
I am the least in my Fathers house ;1" and 
therefore this appearance in public is not the 
fruit of my own choice, which would rather 
have been on some other subject wherein I 
stand in some sense indebted to the world : or 
else in somewhat more digested, and possibly 
better fitted for common acceptation : but this 
is but to consult the interest of a man's own 
name, which in matters of this concern, is no 
better than " a sowing to the flesh/' and the 
harvest of such a seed's time will be "in cor- 
ruption. "S 



* TO THE HEADER. 

Thou hast here one of the saddest consid- 
erations imaginable presented to thee, and that 
is, " How far it is possible a man may go in a 
profession of religion, and yet after all fall 
short of salvation ; how far he may run, and 
yet not so run as to obtain 1 ." This, I say, is 
sad, but not so sad as true ; for our Lord 
Christ doth plainly attest it : " Strive to enter 
in at the strait gate ; for many, I say unto 
you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be 
■able.S" 

My design herein is, that the formal, sleepy 
professor may be awakened, and the close 
hypocrite discovered ; but my fear is, that 
weak believers may be hereby discouraged ; 
for as it is hard to shew how low a child of 
God may fall into sin, and yet have true grace, 
but that the sinner will be apt thereupon to 
presume ; so it is as hard to shew how high 
an hypocrite may rise in a profession, and yet 
have no grace, but that the believer will be 
apt thereupon to despond. The prevention 
whereof I have carefully endeavoured, by 
shewing, that though a man may go thus far^ 
and yet be but almost a Christian ; yet a man 
may fall short of this, and be a true Christian 
notwithstanding. Judge not therefore thy 
state by any one character thou iindest laid 
down of a false professor ; but read the whole^ 
and then make a judgment : For I have cared, 
as not to a give children's bread to dogs,3'* 
sk) not to use the dog's whip to scare the chit- 



TO THE READER. Xi 

Iren ; yet I could wish, that this book might 
fall into the hands of such only whom it chief- 
ly concerns, who u have a name to live and 
yet are dead ;*'l being busy with the form of 
godliness, but strangers to the power of its* 
These are the proper subjects of this treatise : 
And the Lord follow it with his blessing 
wherever it comes, that it may be an awaken- 
ing word to all such, and especially to that 
generation of profligate professors with which 
this age abounds ; who, if they keep to their 
ehurch, bow the knee, talk out a few prayers 
and at a good time receive the sacrament, 
think they do enough for heaven, and here- 
upon judge their condition safe and their 
salvation sure ; though there be a hell of 
sin in their hearts, " and the poison of 
asps is under their lips ;"3 their minds 
i>eing as yet carnal and unconverted, and 
their conversations filthy and uhsanctified. 
Ifeternallifebe of so easy attainment, and to 
be had at so cheap a rate, why did our Lord 
Christ tell us, "Strait is the gate, and nar- 
row is the way which leadeth unto life, and 
few there be that find it ?»4 And why should 
the Apostle perplex us with such a needless 
injunction, "To give diligence to make our 
calling and election sure?"S Certainly there- 
fore it is no such easy thing to be saved, as 
inany make it . and that thou wilt see plainly 
in the following discourse % I have been some 

lRev. iii. 11, 2 ft-lim. iii. 5, 

3 Rom. iii. iS a 4M*ttU. via. 14. 

5 2 Pet, i. 10, 



Xtf TO 1HE READER. 



What short in the application of it 'i and there* 
fore let me here be thy remembrancer in five 
important duties. 

First, "Take heed of resting in a form of 
godliness ;" as if duties ex opere operato could 
confer grace ; a lifeless formality is advanced 
to a very high esteem in the world, as a kab 
of dove's dung was sold in the famine of Sa- 
maria at a very dear rate.l Alas ! the pro- 
fession of godliness is but a sandy foundation 
to build the hope of an immortal soul upon 
for eternity ; remember, the Lord Jesus Christ 
called him a foolish builder, " that founded 
his house upon the sand,"2 and the sad event 
proved him so, " for it fell, and great was the 
fall of it :"3 O therefore lay thy foundation 
by faith upon the rock Christ Jesus ;4« look 
to Christ through all, and rest upon Christ 
in alh 

Secondly, a Labour to see an excellency 
in the power of godliness," a beauty in the 
life of Christ : If the means of grace have a 
loveliness in them^surely grace itself hath 
much more ; for, " the goodness of the means 
lies in its suitableness and ^erviceableness to 
the end ;" the form of godliness hath no good- 
ness in it, any farther than it steads and be- 
comes useful to the soul in the power and 
practice of godliness. The life of holiness is 
the only excellent life, it is the life of saints 
and angels in heaven ; yea, it is the life of 
«Gk>d in himself. As it is a great proof of the 

1 2 Kings vi. 25. £Mat. vii. 26- 



-TO THE READER* Xltf 

'baseness audfilthiness of sin, that sinners seek 
to cover it ; so it is a great proof of the excel- 
leney of godliness, that so many pretend to it : 
The very hypocrite's fair profession pleads 
the cause of religion, although the hypocrite 
is then really worst when he is seemingly best, 

Thirdly, " Look upon things to come as the 
greatest realities ;" for things that are not be- 
lieved, work no more upon the affections than 
if they had no being ; and this is the grand 
reason why the generality of men suffer their 
affections to go after the world, setting the 
creature in the place of God in their hearts. 

Most men judge of the reality of things by 
their visibility and proximity to sense ; and 
therefore the choice of that wretched cardinal 
becomes their option, who would not leave his 
part in Paris, for his part in Paradise ; Sure 
whatever his interest might be in the former, 
he had little enough in the latter : well may 
covetousness be called idolatry,* when it thus 
ch oses the world for its God. 

O ! consider, eternity is no <lrcam ; Hell 
and the worm that never dies,! is no melan- 
choly conceit. Heaven is no feigned elysium : 
There is the greatest reality imaginable in 
these things ; though they are spiritual, and 
ou+ of the ken of sense, yet they are real, and 
within the view of faith ! " Look not therefore 
at the things which ure seen, but look at the 
^thing^ which are not seen ; for the things 

* CoUii,5, f Mark U, 44, 

B 



XIT T O ■' THR . HEADER. 

that are seen are temporal, but the things 
which are not seen, are eternal.* 

Fourthly, u Set a high rate upon thy soul ;" 
what w r e lightly prize, we easily part with : 
Many men sell their souls at the rate of profane 
Esau's birthright, " for a morsel of bread ;"-j- 
nay, " for that which," in the sense of the Ho- 
ly Ghost, " is not bread. "J O consider thy 
soul is the most precious and invaluable jew- 
el in the world, it is the most beautiful 
piece of God's workmanship in the whole 
age of creation, it is that which bears the im- 
God, and which was bought with the 
blood of the Bon of God ; and shall we not 
set a value upon it, and count it precious ?$ 

The apostle Peter 1 *! speaks of three very 
precious things. 

1. A precious Christ. 

2. Precious Promises. 

3. Precious Faith. 

Now the preciousness of all these lies in 
their usefulness to the soul, Christ is precious 
as being the redeemer of precious souls ; the 
Promises are precious, as making over this 
precious Christ to precious souls. Faith is 
precious, as bringing a precious soul to close 
with a precious Christ, as he is held forth in 
the precious promises. O take heed that thou 
&rt not found over-valuing other things, and 
tinder valuing thy soul. Shall thy flesh, nay 
thy beast be loved, and shall thy soul be slight^ 

# Cor.iv, 18, fHeb. xii, 16. 

*Isa. lv f 2. § 1 Pet, i, 18, t% 



TO THE IlEADL.Il. X\ 

% ed ? Wilt tliou clothe and pamper thy body, 
and yet take no care of thy soul ? This is as 
if a man should feed his clog, and starve his 
child. " Meats for the belly, and the belly 
for meats ; but God shall destroy both it and 
them/-* O let not a tottering, perishing car- 
case have all your time and care, as if the life 
and salvation of thy soul were not worth the 
while. 

Lastly, "Meditate much on the strictness 
and suddenness of that judgment-day, which 
thou and I lftust pass through into an everlast- 
ing state ;" wherein God the impartial judge, 
will require an account at our hands of all our 
talents and instruments : we must then account 
for time, how we have spent that ; for estate, 
how we have employed that ; for strength, how 
we have laid out that ; for afflictions and 
mercies, how they have been improved ; for 
the relations we stood in here, how they have 
been discharged : and for seasons and means 
of grace, how they have been husbanded : and 
look, how " we have sowed here, we shall reap 
hereafteiv ? f 

Header, these are things that of all others 
deserve most of, and call loudest for our ut- 
most caie and endeavours, though by the most 
least minded : to consider what a spirit of A- 
theism (if we may judge the tree by the fruits. i 
the principle by the practice) the hearts 
of most re filled with, who live, as if God 

were not to be served, nor Christ to be sought, 

u. v«, 19, 10. 



XVI TO 1HE READER. 

nor lust to be mortified, nor self to be denied, 
mor the scripture to be believed, nor the judg- 
ment-day to be minded, nor hell to be feared, 
nor heaven to be desired, nor the soul to be 
valued ; but give up themselves to a worse 
than brutish sensuality, " to work all unclean- 
ness with greediness,"* living without God in 
the world : This is a meditation fit enough to 
break our hearts, if at least we were of holy 
David's temper, who " beheld the transgres- 
sors and was grieved," and had " rivers of 
waters running down his eyes, because men 
kept not God's laws."f 

The prevention and correction of this soul- 
iestroying distemper, is not the least design 
•f this treatise now put into thy hand : Though 
the chief virtue of this receipt lies in its sove- 
reign use to assuage and cure the swelling 
tympany of hypocrisy, yet it may serve also, 
with God's blessing, as a plaister for the 
plague-sore of profaneness, if timely applied 
by serious meditation, and carefully kept on 
fey constant prayer. 

Reader, expect nothing of curiosity or 
quaintness, for then I shall deceive thee ; but if 
thou wouldst have a touch-stone for the trial of 
thy state, possibly this may stead thee. If thou 
art either a stranger to a profession, or an 
hypocrite under a profession, then read and 
tremble, for thou art the mUn here pointed at. 

■ Mutata nomine de te 
Fabula narratur*—— Horat. 

*Eph. ir, 19, and ii, 12. i;PsaUxix,i53,and verse 156, 



TO THE REABSTft, - XVfl 

But if the kingdom of God be come with 
power into thy soul ;* if Christ be formed in 
thee ; if thy heart be upright and sincere with 
God, then read and rejoice.f 

I fear J have transgressed the bounds of an 
epistle : The mighty God whose prerogative 
it is to teach to profit, whether by the tongue- 
or the pen, by speaking or writings bless this 
tract, that it may be to thee as a cloud of rain 
to the dry ground, dropping fatness to thy 
soul that so thy fleece being watered with the 
" dew of heaven,:}:" thou may'st " grow in 
grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and 
Saviour Jesus Christy" In whom I am th,y 

Friend and Servant, 

MATT. MEAD, 

London, Oct. 22, 1661. 

*Mark ix, 1. fLuke xri? > .21, 

ilsa. xlviii, if; §2 Pet. iii, 18? 

Ba 



t 



Acts xxvi. 38. 
\-Mmost thou persiiadest meto be a Christian. 

In this chapter you have the apostle Paul% 
apology and defensative plea, which lie makes 
for himself against those blind Jews which 
did so maliciously prosecute him before A- 
grippa, Festus, Bernice, and the council. 

In which plea he doth chiefly insist upon 
three things : 

1. The manner of his life before conver- 
sion. 

2. The manner of his conversion. 

3. The manner of his life after conver- 
sion. 

How he lived before conversion, he tells 
you from verse % to 13. 

How God Wrought on him to conversion, 
he tells you from verse 13, to 18. 

How he lived after conversion, he tells you 
from verse 19, to 23. 

Before conversion he was very pharisalcal. 

The manner of his conversion was very 
Wonderful. 

The fruit of his conversion w r as very re- 
markable. 

Before conversion he persecuted the gospel 
which others preached ; after conversion he 
preached the gospel which himself had perse- 
cuted. 

While he was a persecutor of the gospel. 



20 The almost Christian, 

the Jews loved him ; but now that, by the 
grace of God, he was become a preacher of 
the gospel, now the Jews hate him, and 
sought to kill him . * 

He was once against Christ, and then many 
were for him ; but now that he was for Christ, 
all were against him ; his being an enemy to 
Jesus, made others his friends ; but when he 
came to own Jesus, then they became his en- 
emies f . 

And this was the sreat charge thev had 
against him, that of a great opposer he was 
come a great professor. 

Because God had changed him, therefore 
this enraged them : as if they would be the 
worse, because God had made him better, 
God had wrought on him by grace, and they 
seem to envy him the grace of God. 

He preached no treason, nor sowed no se- 
dition ; only he preached repentance, and 
faith in Christ, and the resurrection, and for 
this he was " called in question." 

This is the breviate and sum of PauPs de- 
fence and plea for himself, which you find in 
the sequel of the chapter had a different ef* 
feet upon hisjudges^ 

Festus seems to censure him, verse 34. 
Agrippa seems to be convinced by him,ver.%8> 
The whole bench seem to acquit him, ver. 30* 

Festus thinks Paul was beside himself. 

Agrippa is almost persuaded to be such ft 
OBe as himself. 

Festus thinks him mad^ because he did net 

*A<Tfc XXYfc %U f Act* xsriVk 



The almost Christian. 21, 

understand the doctrine of Christ, and the 
resurrection : " much learning hath made 
thee mad." 

Agrippa is so affected with his plea, that 
he is almost wrought into his principle : Paul 
pleads so effectually for his religion, that A- 
grippa seems to be upon the turning point t© 
his profession. 

" Then Agrippa said to Paul, almost thou 
persuadest me to be a christian. f 

•Almost] the words make some debate a- 
mons; the learned. I shall not trouble you 
with the various hints upon them by Valla, 
Simplicius, Beza, Erasmus and others, I 
take the words as Ave read them, and they 
shew what an efficacy Paul's doctrine had 
upon Agrippa's conscience. Though he 
would not be converted, yet he could not but 
be convinced ; his conscience was touched, 
though his heart was not renewed. 

Observation. k ' There is that in religion, 
which carries its own evidence along with it 
even to the conscience of ungodly men.*? 

Thou persuadest we] the word is from the 
Hebrew, and it signifies both saudere and 
persuadere ; either to use arguments to pre- 
vail, or to prevail by the arguments used. 

Now it is to be taken in the latter sense 
here, to shew the influence of Paul's argu- 
ment upoi; Agrjppa, which had almost prose- 
lyted him i< he profession of Christianity. 

st thoii persuadest me to be a Chri&~ 

risiian^ I hope I ne^a not tell ycrti 



S3 The almost Christian. 

what a christian is, though I am persuaded 
many that are called Christians do not know 
what a christian is, or if they do, yet they 
do not know what it is to be a Christian. 

A christian is a disciple of Jesus Christ, one 
that believes in, and follows Christ. As one 
that embraces the doctrine of Arminius, is 
called an Arminian ; and as he that owns the 
doctrine and way of Luther, is called a Luth- 
eran ; so he that embraces, and owns, and fol- 
lows, the Doctrine of Jesus Christ, lie is cal-' 
led &■ Christian-. 

The word is taken more largely, and more 
strictly ; more largely, and so all that profess 
Christ come in the flesh, are csAle&ChrisiianSf 
inopposition to heathens that do not knowChrist 
and to the poor blind Jews, that will not own 
Christ ; and to the Mahometan, that prefers 
Mahomet above Christ, 

But now in scripture, the word is of a more 
strict and narrow acceptation, it is used only 
to denominate the true disciples and followers 
of Christ : " the disciples were first called 
Christians at . Antioch ; * if any man suffer as a 
Christian, let him not be ashamed f ;" that 
is, as a member and disciple of Christ : and 
so in the text. " almost thou persuadest me to 
be a Christian/' 

The word is used hut in these three places, 
as I find, in all the New Testament, and in 
each of them it signifies in the sense afore- 
mentioned. 

*Actsx-i. es. +1 Tel. it 



The Almost Christian. S£ 

The Italians make the name to be a name 
of reproach among them, and do usually abuse 
the word Christian to signify a fool *; 

But if, as the apostle saith, <* the preaching 
of Christ is to the World foolishness f," then 
it is no wonder that the disciples of Christ 
are to the world/00/s. 

Yet it is true in a sound sense, that so thev 
are. For the whole of Godliness is a myste- 

A man must die, that would live : he must 
be emptily that would he full, he must be lost, 
that would be fo u ml, he must have nothing 
that would have all tkinsst he must be blind. 
that would have illumination : he must be 
condemned, that would have redemption ; so 
he must be a /ir/o/, that would be a Christian, 
" If any man among you seems to be wise, 
let him become a fool, that he may be wise ?." 

He is the true Christian that is the world's 
fool, but wise to salvation. 

Thus you have the sense and meaning of 
the words briefly explained. 

The text needs no division, and vet it is 
pity the almost should not be divided from the 
Christian. 

Though it is of little avail to divide them 
as they are linked in the text, unless I could 
divide them as they are united in your hearts ; 
this would be a blessed division, if the almost 
might be taken from the Cliristian : that so 

*Fu!k. Not. on Rhem. Test f 1 Cor. i. 18. 

- 1 Tim. iii. 16- § 1 Cor, ir, 10. 



&& The almost Christian. 

you may not be only propemodum, but atlmo- 
dura ; not onlya most but altogether Chris- 
tians. 

This is God's work to effect it, but it is ouv 
duty to persuade to it ; and O that God would 
help rue io manage this subject so, that you 
may say in the conclusion, ** Thou persuadest 
me, not almost, but altogether to be a Chris- 
tian." 

The observation that I shall propound to 
handle is this : 

Doctrine,. " There are very many in the 
world that are almost, and yet but almost 
Christians ; many that are near heaven, and 
yet are never the nearer; many that are with- 
in a little of salvation, and yet shall never 
enjoy the least salvation : they are within 
sight of heaven, and yet shall never have a 
sight of God." 

There are two sad expressions in scripture 
which 1 cannot but take notice of in this 
place 

The one is concerning the truly righteous ; 

The other is concerning the seemingly 
righteous. 

It is said of the truly righteous, he shall 
scarcely be saved ; and it is said of the seem- 
ingly righteous, he shall be almost eared ; 
" Thou art not far from the kingdom of 
God* ». 

The righteous shall be saved with a scarce- 
ly, that is, through much difficulty ; he shall 

* Mark Kii, 24* 1. Pete iv, 18. 



The Mmosi Christran. 25 

go to heaven through many sad fears of hell. 

The hypocrite shall be saved with an al- 
most, that is, he shall go to hell through ma- 
ny fair hopes of heaven. 

There are two things arise from hence of 
very serious meditation. 

The one is, how often a believer may mis- 
carry, how low he may fall, and yet have true 
grace. 

The other is, how far an hypocrite may go 
in the way to heaven, how high he may attain, 
and yet have no grace. 

The saint may be cast down very near to 
hell, and yet shall never come there ; and the 
hypocrite may be lifted up very near to heav- 
en, and yet never come there. 

The saint may almost perish, and yet be 
saved eternally ; the hypocrite may almost be 
saved, and yet perish finally. 

For the saint at worst is really a believer, 
and the hypocrite at best is really a sinner. 

Before I handle the doctrine, I must pre- 
mise three things, which are of great use for 
the establishing of weak believers, that they 
may not be shaken and discouraged by this 
doctrine. 

First, There is nothing in the doctrine that 
should be matter of stumbling or discourage- 
ment to weak christians. 

The gospel doth not speak these tilings t© 
woimd believers, biikto awaken sixers and 
formal professors. wm 

As there are none more tfi? ; A tvuif 



i 



86 The •Almost Christian. 

believers, to apply the promisee and comforts 
of the gospel to themselves, for whom they are 
properly designed ; so there are none more 
ready than they to apply the threats and sever- 
est things of the word to themselves, for 
whom they were never intended. As the dis- 
ciples when Christ told them, " One of you 
shall betray me ;" they that were innocent 
suspected themselves most, and therefore cri- 
ed out, " Master, is it I*." 

So weak Christians when they hear sinners 
reproved., or the hypocrite laid open in the 
ministry of the word, they presently cry out, 
Is it I ? 

It is the hypocrite's fault to sit under the 
trials and discoveries of the word, and yet not 
to mind them : and it is the weak christian's 
fault to draw sad conclusions of their own 
state from premises which nothing concern 
tham 

There is indeed great use of such doctrine 
as (his is to all believers : 

1. To make them look to their standing, 
upon what bottom they are, and to see that 
the foundation of their hope be well laid, 
that they build not upon the sand, but upon a 
yock.f 

%. It helps to raise our admiration of the 
distinguishing love of God, in bringing us in- 
to the way everlasting, when so many perish 
'ftointhe way J and in overpowering our souk 

*Af *tt, xxyi, £1. 22, iMatt. »ni. 24 

*Psal. cxxxU. '£4. 



The Almost Christian. 27 

into a true conversion, when so many take up 
with a graceless profession. 

3. It incites to that excellent duty of heart- 
searching, that so we approve ourselves to Grod 
in sincerity.* 

4. It engages the soul in double diligence^ 
that it may be found not only believing, but 
persevering in faith to the end. 

These duties, and such -as these are, make 
this doctrine of use to all believers ; but they 
ought not to make use of it as a stumbling- 
block in the way of their peace and comfort. 

My design in preaching on this subject, is 
not to make sad the souls of those whom Christ 
will not have made sad ; I would bring wa- 
ter not to u quench the flax that is smoaking"f 
but to put out that false fire that is of the sin- 
ner's own kindling, lest walking all his days 
by the light thereof, he shall at last lie down 
in sorrow.^ 

My aim is to level the mountain of the sin- 
ner's confidence, not to weaken the hand of the 
believer's faith and dependence : to awaken 
and bring in secure formal sinners, not to dis- 
courage weak believers. 

Secondly, I would premise this ; though 
many may go far, very far, in the way to heav- 
en, and yet fall short ; yet that soul that hath 
the least true grace shall never fall short : 
"the righteous shall hold on his way. v ^[ 

Though some may do very much in a way 

* i Cor. xiii. 5. fMatt. xii. 20. 

f Isaiah 1. 1» *fJobvi',^, 



88 Tlie Almost Christian. 

of duty, as I shall shew hereafter, and yet mis 
carry ; yet that soul that doth duty with the 
least sincerity shall never miscarry ; " for he 
saveth the upright in he art. v * 

The least measure of true grace is as saving 
as the greatest ; it saves as surely, though 
not so comfortably. The least grace gives a 
full interest in the blood of Christ, wherebv 
we are thoroughly purged ; and it gives a full 
interest in the strength and power of Christ., 
whereby we shall be certainly preserved. 

Christ keeps faith in the soul, and faith 
keeps the soul in Christ : and so " we are. 
kept by the power of God, through faith to 
salvation f ". 

Thirdly, I would premise this ; they that 
can hear such truths as this ; without serious 
reflection and self-examination, I must suspect 
the goodness of their condition. 

You will suspect that man to be next door 
to a bankrupt, that never casts up his shcp nor 
looks over bis books : and 1 as verily think 
that man an hypocrite, that never searches 
nor deals with his own heart. 

He that goes on in a road of duties without 
any rub or doubting of his state, I doubt no 
man's state more than his. 

When we see a man sick, and yet not 
sensible, we conclude the tokens of death are 
upon him. . 

So when sinners have no sense of their spir- 
itual condition, it is plain that they are dead 

*Psa1tti vii. to fPetei i 



The Almost Christian. S£ 

in sin ; the tokens of eternal death are upon 
them. . 

These things being premised^ which I de« 
sire you would carry along in your mind while 
We travel through this subject, I come to speak 
to the proposition more distinctly and closely. 

Doctrine. " That there are very many in 
the world that are almost and yet but almost 
Christians." 

I shall demonstrate the truth of the propo- 
sition, and then proceed to a more distinct 
prosecution. 

1 . I shall demonstrate the truth of the propo- 
sition ; and I shall do it by scripture-evidence 
which speaks plainly and fully to the case. 

1st, The young man in the gospel is an em- 
inent proof of this truth : there you read of one 
that came to Christ to learn of him the way 
to heaven : " Good master what good thing 
shall I do, that I may have eternal life ?" Our 
Lord Christ tells him, " If thou wilt enter in- 
to life keep the commandments :" and when 
Christ tells him which, he answers, '• Lord, 
all this I have kept from mv youth up ; what 
lack I yet ?"* 

Now do but see how far this man went. 

1 . He obeyed'] he did not only hear the com- 
mands of God but he kept them : now the 
scripture saith, " Blessed is he that hears the 
word of God, and keeps it. f 

2. He obeyed universally'] not this or that 
command, but both this and that .- he did not 

•Matt. xix. 1C — ^3. fLuke *i. 8. 



30 The Almost Christian. 

halve it with God, or pick and choose which 
were easiest to be done, and leave the rest ; 
no, but he obeys all ; " All these things have 
I kept. ' 

3. He obeyed constantly'] not in a fit of zeal 
only, but in a continual series of duty ; his 
goodness was not, as Ephraim's, " like the 
morning dew that passes away *" ; no, " All 
these things have I kept from my youth up. " 

i. He- prqfesseth his desire to know and to 
do more'] to perfect that which was lacking 
of his own obedience ; and therefore he goes 
to Christ to instruct him in his duty ; " Mas- 
ier, what lack I yet ?" Now would you not 
think this a good man ? Alas! how few go 
this far ? And yet as far as he went, he went 
not far enough ; u he was almost, and yet 
but almost a Christian ?" for he was an un- 
sound hypocrite ; he forsakes Christ at last, 
and cleaves to his lust f. 

This then is a full proof of the truth of the 
doctrine. 

A second proof of it is that of the parable 
of the virgins in St. Matthew %. See what a 
progress they make, how far they go in a 
profession of Christ §. 

1. They are called virgins] Now this is a 
name given in the scripture, both in the Old 
Testament and the New % to the saints of 
Christ, " the virgins love thee || :"_ so in the 
Revelation, the " one hundred forty and four 
thousand" that stood with the lamb on mount 

* Hos vi. 4. f Matt, xix.2. * Matt. xxv. 1 

§ Psalm; xiv. 11. f 2 Cor. xi. 2, 3, (1 Cant. i. S. 



The ahno st Christian* dl 

Slon, are called virgins *. They are called 
virgins, because they are not defiled with the 
" corruptions that Ptre in the world through 
lust f" Now these here seem to be of that 
sort, for they are called virgins :\ v . 

2. They take fiieir lamps'] that is they make 
a profession of Christ \. 
3. They had some kind of oil in their lamps'] 
as appears verse 8. they had some convictions 
and some faith, though not the faith of God's 
elect, to keep their profession alive, to keep 
the lamp burning. 

4. They ivent] their profession was not an 
idle profession, they did perforin duties, fre- 
quent ordinances, and do many things com- 
manded : they made a progress, they went. 

5. They went forth] they went and out- 
went, they left many behind them : this 
speaks out their separation from the world. 

JS. They went with the wise virgins'] they 
joined themselves to those who had joined 
themselves to the Lord, and were companions 
of them that were companions of Christ. 

7. They go forth to meet the bridegroom] 
this speaks out their owning and seeking af. gj 
Christ. 

8. When they heard the cry of the bride- 
groom coming, << they arose and trimmed 
their lamps Tf", they profess Christ more 
highly, hoping now to go in with the bride- 



groom. 



* Rev. xiv. 4. f % Pet. i. 4, * Matt. xxv. 1:, 

§ Matt aotr.S, «f Matt, x: 



m 



The Almost Christian* 



9. lliey nought for true grace'] Now do 
jiot we say, the desires of grace are grace ? 
and so they are; if true and timely, if sound 
and seasonable. 

Why lo ! here a desire of grace in these vir- 
gins " Give us of your oil." 

It was a desire of true grace, but it was not 
a true desire of grace; it was not true, be. 
cause not timely, unsound, as being unsea- 
sonable ; it was too late. 

Their folly was not in taking oil when 
they took their lamps : their time of seeking 
grace was when they came to Christ, it was 
too late to seek it when Christ came to thein*. 
They should have sought for that when they 
took up their profession : it was too late to 
seek it at the corning of the bridegroom. And 
therefore $' they were shut out f f 9 and tho* 
they cry for entrance, " Lord, Lord, open to 
us $ :"yet the Lord Christ tells them, "I know 
you not \ n m 

You see how far these virgins go in a pro- 
fession of Jesus Christ, and how long they 
continue in it, even till the bridegroom came ; 
they go to the very doors of heaven, and there 
like the Sodomites, perish with their hands 
upon the very threshold of glory. They 
were almost christians, and yet but almost : 
almost saved, and yet perish. 

You that are professors of the gospel of 
Christ stand and tremble, if they that have 
gone beyond us fall short of heaven, what 
shall become of us that fall short of them ? 

* Matt. xxv. 3, t Ver, 10. * Ver. 11. $ Ver. i 



The almost Christian. S3 

If they that are virgins, that profess phrist, 
that have some faith in their profession, such 
as it is, that have some fruit in their faith, 
that outstrip others that seek Christ, that im- 
prove their profession, and suit themselves 
to their profession, nay, that seek grace : if 
such as these be bat almost christians, Lord, 
what are we ? 

If these two witnesses be not sufficient to 
prove the truth, and confirm the credit of the 
proposition, take a third; and that shall be 
from the Old Testament Isaiah lviii. 2. See 
what God saith of that people : he gives them 
a very high character for a choice people, one 
would think : " They seek me daily, they 
delight to know my ways, as a nation that did 
righteousness, and forsook not the ordinances 
of their (rod : they ask of me the ordinances 
of justice : they take delight in approaching 
to^God." 

See how far these went ; if God had not 
sa : .d they were rotten and unsound, we should 
have took them for the " he-goats before the 
Hock *", and ranked them among the wor- 
thies. Pray observe, 

1. Theif seek God'] Now this is the pro- 
per character of a true saint, to seek God. 
True saints are called seekers of God" : 
This is the generation of them that seek him. 
that seek thy face, O Jacob f" or, O God of 
Jacob. 

Lo, here a generation of them that seek 

j Psal. xxiv, 6 



&4* The almost Christian. 

God, and are not these the saints of God ? 
Nay farther. * 

2. They seek him <Za%]Here is diligence 
backed with continuance day by day : that is, 
every day, from day to day. ' They did not 
seek him by fits and starts, nor in a time of 
trouble and affliction only, as many do. 
*•' Lord, in trouble have they visited thee, 
they poured out a prayer when thy chasten- 
ing was upon them *" Many when God 
visits them, then they visit him, but not till 
then ; when God poureth out his afflictions, 
then they pour out their s applications. This 
is seamen's devotion : when the storms have 
brought them to their wit's-end, then they cry 
to the Lord in their trouble f". M <ny never 
cry to God, till they are at their wit's-end; 
they never come to God for help, so long as 
they can help themselves. 

But now these here, whom God speaks of, 
are more zealous in their devotion ; the oth- 
ers make a virtue of necessity, but these 
seem to make conscience of duty, for, saith 
God " they seek me daily." Sure this is, one 
would think, a note of sincerity. 

Job saith to the hypocrite, " Will he al- 
ways call upon God % v ? surely no : but 
now this people call upon God always, "they 
seek him daily" : certainly these are no hyp- 
ocrites. 

3. Saith God, " they delight to know my 
ways". Sure this frees them from the sus- 

>n of hypocrisy ; for, u they say unto God, 

1 laa. £STi. io, f Psal c?ii. 27, SO. 4 Job xxr'il 10. 



The almost Christian. S5 

Depart from us, we desire not the knowledge 
of -liy way *" 

4. They are as a nation that did righteous- 
wss] Not only as a nation that spake right- 
e asnessorknew righteousness, or professed 
ri Jiteousness, but as a nation that did righte- 
ousness, that practised nothing but what was 
just and right. They appeared to the judg- 
ment of the world as good as the best. 

5. They forsook not the ordinances of their 
God~\ they seem true to their principles, con- 
stant to their profession, better than many a- 
lnongus, that cast off duties, and forsake the 
ordinances of God ; but these hold out in 
their profession : " they forsook not the or- 
dinances of God". 

6. Tiny ask (f me, saith God, ti e ordinan- 
ces of Justice] They will not make their 
own will the rule of right and wrong, but the 
law and will of God ; and therefore in all 
their dealings with men, they desire to be 
guided and counselled by God ; ;; they ask 
of me the ordinances of justice". 

7. They take delight in approaching t& 
God') Sure this cannot be the guise of an 
hypocrite : M will he delight himself in the 
Almkhty f >' ? saith Job : no, he will not. 

Though Hod is the chief delight of man 
(having every thing in him to render him love- 
ly, a* was stfid v. Tit^ Yt *j asian,)yet the 
hypocrite will not delight in God. 

Till the affections are made spiritual, there 

* Jak jyL 14, f- j b xsvi. Id 



3(5 The almost Christian. 

is no affection to things that arc spiritual, 
God is a spiritual good, and therefore hypo- 
crites cannot delight in God. But these are 
a people that delight in approaching to God. 

8. They were a people that were much in 
fasting, as you may see, ver. 3. " Where- 
fore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest 
not" ? Now this is a duty that doth not sup- 
pose and require truth of grace only in the 
heart, hut strength of grace; 

" No man saith our Lord Christ, puts new 
wine into old bottles, lest the hottles hreak 
and the wine run out.";* New wine is 
strong, and old bottles weak ; and the strong 
wine breaks the weak vessel: this is a rea- 
son Christ gives, why his disciples, who are 
newly converted and but weak as yet, were not 
exercised with this austere discipline. 

But this people here mentioned were a 
people that fasted often, afflicted their souls 
much, wore themselves out by frequent prac- 
tices of humiliation. f 

Sure therefore this was " new wine in new 
bottles" ; this must needs be a people strong 
in grace : there seems to be grace not only in 
truth, but also in growth. And yet for all 
this they were no better than a generation of 
hypocrites ; they made a goodly progress, 
and went far, but yet they went not far enough; 
they were cast off by God after all. 

I hope by this time the truth of the point 
is sufficiently avouched and confirmed $ ' that 

*Mstt» xix. 17. j Assembly's annotations on the place 



The almost Christian. 37 

a man may be, yea very many are, almost, 
and yet no more than but almost Christians." 

Now for the more distinct prosecution of 
the point, 

1. "I shall shew you, step by step, how 
far he may go, what attainments he may 
reach unto, how specious and singular a pro- 
gress he may make in religion, and yet be 
but almost a Christian when all is done." 

%. "I will shew you whence it is, that ma- 
ny men go so far as that they are almost 
Christians." 

3. " Why they are but almost Christians 
-when they have gone thus far." 

4*. " What the reason is, why men that go 
thus far as to be almost Christians, yet go no 
farther than to be almost Christians." 

Question 1. "How far may a man go in 
the way to heaven, and yet be but almost a 
Christian." 

Answer. This I shall shew you in twenty 
several steps. 

1. "A man may have much knowledge, 
much light ; he may know much of God and 
his will, much of Christ and his ways, and 
yet be but almost & christian." 

For though there can be no grace without 
knowledge, yet there may be much know- 
ledge where there is no grace; illumination 
often goes before, when conversion never fol- 
lows after. The subject of knowledge is the 
understanding, the subject of holiness is the 
will. Now a man may have his understand- 
ing enlightened, and vet his will not at all 

fa 



38 The almost Christian. 

sanctified. He may have an understanding 
to know God, and yet want a will to obey 
God. The apostle tells us of some, that 
" when they knew God they glorified him 
not as God."* 

To make a man altogether a christian, 
there must be light in the head, and heat in 
the heart ; knowledge in the understanding, 
and zeal in the affections. 

Some have zeal and no knowledge ; that Is 
blind devotion; some have knowledge and 
no zeal ; that is fruitless speculation ; but 
where knowledge is joined with zeal, that 
makes a true Christian. 

Objection. But is it not said, u This is 
life eternal, to know thee the only true God, 
and Jesus Christ whom thou has sent f"? 

Answer. It is not every knowledge of 
-God and Christ that interests the soul in life 
eternal. For why then do the devils perish : 
they have more knowledge of God than all 
the men in the world ; for though by their 
fall they lost their holiness, yet they lost not 
their knowledge. 

They are called spirits from their know- 
ledge, and yet they are diabolical irom their 
malice, devils still. 

Knowledge may fill the head, but it will 
never better the heart, if there be not some- 
what else. The Pharisees had much know- 
ledge : « Behold, thou art called a Jew, and 
restest in the law* and makest thy boast of 

•Ropx.K2ic fJokn-Vpi ; 



The Almost Christian. 39 

God, andknowest his will, &c.*" and yet 
they were a generation of hypocrites. 

Alas ! how many have gone loaded with 
knowledge to hell. 

Though it is true, that it is life eternal to 
know God and Jesus Christ : yet it is as true 
that many do know God and Jesus Christy 
that shall never see life eternal. 

There is, you must know, a two fold know- 
ledge : the one is common, but not saving ; 
the other is not common but saving : common 
knowledge is that which floats in the head, 
but doth not influence the heart. This 
knowledge reprobates may have ; " Balaam 
saw Christ from the top of the rocks, and from 
the hills.t" 

Naturalists say, that there is a pearl in the 
toads head, and yet her belly is full of poison. 
The French have a berry which they call 
uve de spine, the grape of a thorn. 

The common knowledge of Christ is the 
pearl in the toad's head, the grape that grows 
upon thorns, it may be found in men unsancti- 
fied. 

And then there :s a saving knowledge of 
God and Christ which doth include the assent 
of the mhi' 1 , and the consent of the will ; this 
is a knowledge that implies faith : " By his 
knowledge shall my righteous servant justify 
many." J 

And this is that knowledge which leads to 
life eternal : now whatever that measure of 

*Rcm. il 17, 18. fNara. xxiii. 10. -ilsa.Jiii. it. 



4i The .Mmost Christian. 

knowledge i ;*j which a man may have of God. 
and of Jesus Christ, yet if it be not this saving 
knowledge, knowledge joined with affection 
and application, he is but almost a Christian, 

He only knows God aright, who knows 
how to obey him, and obeys according to his 
knowledge of him ; " A good understanding 
have all they that do his commandments."* 

All knowledge without this makes a man 
but like Nebuchadnezzar's image, with **& 
bead of gold, and feet of clay." 

Some know, but to kno.w. 

Some know, to be known. 

Some know, to practise what they know. 

Now to know, but to know, that i3 curios 
ity. 

To know, tp be known, that is vain glory. 

Bat to know to- practise what we know* 
that is gospel duty. 

This makes a man a complete christian $ 
the other, without this, makes a man almost 
and yet but almost a christian. 

2. " A man may have great and eminent 
gifts, yea spiritual gifts, and yet be but almost 
a christian." The gift of prayer is a spiritual 
gift ; now this a man may have, and yet be but 
almost a christian, for the gift of prayer is one 
thing, the grace of prayer is another. 

The gift of preaching and prophesying! * s 
a spiritual gift ; now this a man may have, 
and yet be but almost a christian. Judas was 
a great preacher, so were they that came to 

Psal.cxl 10. fl Cor- s& la 



The Almost Christian,, 4f 

Christ and said, u Lord,Lord, we have proph- 
esicd'inthy name^ and in thy name have cast 
out devils,*" Sfc. 

You must know that it is not gifts, bat grace, 
which makes a christian : For, 

1. Gifts are from a common work of the 
spirit, now a man may partake of all tlie com- 
mon gifts of the spirit, and yet he a reprobate ; 
for therefore they are called common, because . 
they are indifferently dispensed by the spirit 
to good and bad ; to them that are believers, 
and to them that are note 

They that have grace, have gifts ; and they 
that have no grace, may have the same gifts y 
for the spirit works in both ; nay in this sense, 
lie that hath no grace, may be under a greater 
work of the spirit (quod hoc) as to this thing, 
than he that hath most grace : a graceless 
professor may have greater gifts than the most 
holy believer : he may out-pray and cut-preach 
and out- do them ; but they in sincerity and in- 
tegrity out-go him. 

2. Gifts are for the use and good of others, 
they arc given in ordine ad alium, as the 
schoolmen speak, for the profiting and edify- 
ing of others ; so says the apostle, « they are 
u to profit withal. "f 
Now a man may edify another by his gifts, 
and yet he unedited himself; he may be prof- 
itable to another, and vet unprofitable to him- 
self. 
The raven was an unclean bird ; God 

♦Matt vii. 22 ft Cor. xU, 7, Eph. iff, i.e. 



4S The Almost Christian. 

makes use of her to feed Elijah ; though she 
was not good meat, yet it was good meat she 
brought. 

A lame man may with his crutch point 
thee the right way, and yet not be able to walk 
in it himself, 

A crooked taylor may make a suit to fit a 
strait body, though it fit not him that made it f 
because of his crookedness. 

The church (Christ's garden enclosed) may 
be watered through a wooden gutter ; the sun 
may give light through a dusky window ; and 
the field may be well sowed with a dirty hand. 

The efficacy of the word doth not depend 
upon the authority of him that speaks it, but 
upon the authority of the God that Messes it. 
So that another may be converted by my 
preaching, and yet I may be a cast-away^ 
notwithstanding. Balaam makes a clear and 
rare prophesy of Christ, and yet he hath no 
benefit by Christ ; " There shall come a star 
out of Jacob, and a sceptre shall rise out of Is- 
rael ;" but yet Balaam shall have no benefit 
fey it ; "I shall see him, but not now ; I shall 
behold him but not nigh/ v f 

God may use a man's gifts to bring another 
unto Christ, when he himself, whose gifts God 
uses, may be a stranger unto Christ ; one man 
may confirm another in the faith, and yet him- 
self may be a stranger unto the faith. Pen- 
dleton strengthens and confirms Sanders, in 
<^ueen Mary r s day*, to stand in the truth he 

*1 Cor. ix, 2T. t N uurt>. ft. 17; 



The Almost Christian, 4S 

had preached, and to seal it with his blood, 
and yet afterwards plays the apostate himself.^ 

Scultetus tells us of one Johannes Speise- 
rus, a famous preacher of Augsburg m Ger- 
many, in the year 1523, who preached the gos- 
pel so powerfully that divers common harlots 
were converted and became good christians ; 
and yet himself afterwards turned papist and 
came to a miserable end. 

Thus the candle may burn bright to light 
others in their work, and yet afterwards go out 
in a stink. 

3. It is beyond the power of the greatest 
gifts to change the heart ; a man may preach 
like an apostle,, pray like an angel, and yet 
may have the heart of a devil. It is grace on- 
ly that can change the heart ; the greatest 
gifts cannot change it, but the least grace can r 
gifts may make a man a scholar, but grace 
makes a man a believer. 

Now if gifts cannot change the heart, then 
a man may have the greatest gifts, and yet be 
but almost a christian. 

4. Many have gone loaded with gifts to .hell. 
No doubt Judas had great gifts, for he was a 
preacher of the gospel ; and our Lord Jesus 
Christ would not set him to the work, and not 
fit him for the work : yet " Judas is gone to 
his own place :" the Scribes and Pharisees 
were men of great gifts and yet, " Where i§ 
the wise ? where is the scribe V* 

M. The preaching of the cross is to them tha* r 

*Asts and McfcutaentSj l^t cUHvyqI. 5. ft. lifc 



44 The Almost Christian. 

perish foolishness.''* Them that perish, who 
are thev ? Who ? the wise and the learned, 
both among Jews and Greeks : These are 
called u them that perish/ A great bishop 
said, when he saw a poor shepherd weeping 
over a toad : " the poor illiterate world at- 
tain to heaven, while we with all our learning 
fall into hell." 

There are three things must be done for u^ 
if ever we would avoid perishing. 

We must be thoroughly convinced of sin. 

We must be really united to Christ. 

We must be instated in the covenant of 
grace. 

Now the greatest gifts cannot stead us in 
any one of these. 

They cannot work thorough convictions* 
'They cannot effect our union. 

They cannot bring us into covenant-rela- 
tion. 

And consequently they cannot preserve 
from eternal perishing : and if so, then a man 
may have the greatest gifts, f and yet be but 
almost a Christian. 

5, Gifts may decay and perish : they do not 
lie beyond the reach of corruption ; indeed 
grace shall never perish, but gifts will; grace 
is incorruptible, though gifts are not : grace 
is " a spring, whose waters fail not,"| but 
the streams of gifts may be dried up. If grace 
be corruptible in its own nature, as being but 
a creature ; yet it is incorruptible in regard to 

•1 Cor, l 2a uvAl i&r pohn far. 14, *&*«& * *• 



The almost Christian. 4a 

its conserve^ as being the new creature ; he 
that did create it in us ? will conserve it in 
us : he that did begin it will also finish it.* 

Gifts have their root in nature, but grace 
bath its root in Christ ; and therefore though 
gifts may die and wither, yet grace shall a- 
bide forever. 

Now if gifts are perishing, then, though he 
that hath the least grace is a christian, he ! hat 
hath the greatest gifts may be but almost a 
christian. 

Objection. But doth not the apostle bid us 
I? covet earnestly the best sifts ?"f Why must 
we covet theni, and covet them earnestly, if 
they avail not to salvation ? 

•Answer. Gifts are good, though they are 
not the best good ; they are excellent, but 
there is some-what more excellent i so it fol- 
lows in the same verse ; u yet I shew unto 
you a more excellent way/*' and that is the 
way of grace \ one dram of grace is of more 
worth than a talent of gifts ; gifts may make 
us rich towards men, but it is grace that makes 
us " rich towards God/'± 

Our gifts profit others, but grace profits 
ourselves ; that whereby I profit another is 
good, but that whereby I am profited myself 
is better. ~ * 

Now because gifts are good,, therefore we 
ought to covet them ; but because they are 
not the best good, therefore we ought not to 
rest in them; we must covet gifts for the 

'Uc h ■ x :; . 2. fi Cor. au.^1 f Luke sK.'iL 



16 The almost Christian, 

good of others, that they may be edified 5 and 
we must covet grace for the good of our own 
•souls, that they may be saved ; for whosoever 
be bettered by our gifts^ yet we shall miscar- 
ry without grace. 

3. " A man may have a high profession of 
religion, be much in external duties of godli- 
ness, and yet be but almost a Christian." 
Marls: what our Lord tells them, "Not eve- 
ry one that saith unto me, Lord Lord, shall 
enter into the kingdom of heaven *" ; that 
is, not every one that makes a profession of 
Christ, shall therefore be owned for a true 
disciple of Christ, " All are not Israel that 
are of Israelf :" nor are all christians that 
make a profession of religion. g 

What a goodly profession had Judas ! he 
followed Christ, left all for Christ, he preach- 
ed the gospel of Christ, he cast out devils in 
the name of Christ, he eat and drank at the 
table of Christ ; and yet Judas was but an 
hypocrite. 

Most professors are like lilies, fair in shew 
but foul in scent ; or like pepper, hot in th© 
mouth but cold in the stomach. The finest 
lace may be upon the coarsest cloth. 

It is a great deceit to measure the substance 
of our religion by the bulk of our profession, 
and to judge of the strength of our graces by 
the length of our duties. The scripture 
speak of some who hating " a form of godli- 
ness, yet deny the power thereoff " Deny 



The Almost Christian. 4# 

the power ; that is, they do not live in the 
practice of those graces which they pretend 
to in their duties ; he that pretends to godli- 
ness by a specious profession, and yet doth 
sot practice godliness by a holy conversation, 
" he hath a form, but denies the power. 9 * 
Grotius compares such to the Ostrich, which 
hath great wings, but yet flies not; many 
have the wings of a fair profession, but yet 
use them not to mount upward in spiritual af- 
fections, and a heavenly conversation. 

But to clear the truth of this, that a man 
may make a high profession of religion, and 
yet be but almost a Christian ; take a four- 
fold evidence. 

1. If a man may profess religion, and yet 
never have his heart changed, nor his state 
bettered, then he may be a great professor, 
and yet be bat almost a Christian. 

But a man may profess religion, and yet 
never have his heart ehanged, nor his state 
renewed. He may be a constant hearer of 
the word, and yet be a sinner still ; he may 
come often to the Lord's table, and yet go a- 
way a sinner as he came ; we must not think 
that duties can confer grace. 

Mirny a soul hath been converted by 
Christ in an ordinance, but never was any 
soul converted by an ordinance without 
Christ. 

And doth Christ convert all that sit under 
{ha ordinances ? surely no, for to some^ " the 



48 *Jflie Almost Christian. 

word is a savour of death unto death, *V 
And if so, then it is plain, that a man may 
profess religion, and yet be but almost a 
Christian. 

%. A man may profess religion, and live in 
a form of godliness in hypocrisy. " Hear 
ye this, O house of Jacob, which are called 
by the name of Israel, and are come forth out 
of the waters of Judea, which swear by the 
name of the Lord, and make mention of the 
God of Israel, but not in truth, nor in right- 
ousness f '\ What do ye think of these ? 
H They make mention of the name of the 
Lord, there is their profession, but not in 
truth, nor in righteousness ;" tftere is their 
dissimulation : and indeed there could be 
no hypocrisy, in a religious sense, were it 
not for a profession of religion : for he that is 
wicked and carnal, and vile inwardly, and ap- 
pears to be so outwardly, he is no hypocrite, 
but is what he appears, and appears what lie 
is- But he that is one thing really, and an- 
other thing seemingly, is carnal and unholy, 
and yet seems to be good and holy, he is an 
hypocrite* 

Thus the Casuists define hypocrisy to be a 
counterfeiting of holiness; and this fits exact- 
ly with the Greek word which is to counter- 
feit. 

And to this purpose ; the Hebrews have 
two words for hypocrites, panim, which sig- 
niftssfacies ; and chanepim, which signifies 

* 1 Cor, 2. 1€, f Isa. xlviri. 1. 



The almost Christian. 49 

voiinterfeits, from chanaph, to dissemble ; so 
that he is an hypoerite that dissembles reli- 
gion, and weareth the face of holiness, and 
yet is without the grace of holiness ; he ap- 
pears to be in semblance what he is not in 
substance, he wears a form of godliness with- 
out, only as a cover of a profane heart with- 
in. 

He hath a profession that he may not be 
thought wicked ; but it is but a profession, and 
therefore he is wicked. 

He is the religious hypocrite ; religious, be- 
cause he pretends to it ; and yet an hypocrite 
because he doth but pretend to it : he is like 
many men in a consumption, that have fresh 
looks, and yet rotten lungs : or like an apple 
that hath a skin fair but a rotten core : many 
appear righteous, who are only righteous in 
appearance. 

And if so, then a man may profess religion 
and yet be but almost a christian. 

3. Custom and fashion may make a man a 
professor ; as you have many that wearlhis 
or that garb, not because it keeps them warm- 
er or hath any excellency in it more than an- 
other, but merely for fashion. 

Many must have powdered hair, spotted 
faces, feathers in their caps, &c. for no 
other end, but because they would be fools in 
fashion. 

So, many profess Christianity, not because 
the means of grace warms the heart, or that 
they see any excellency in the ways of God 



vO The almost Christian. 

above the world, but merely to follow the 
fashion : I wish I might not say, it hath been 
true of our days, because religion hath been 
uppermost, therefore many have professed ; it 
hath been the gaining trade, and then most 
will be of that trade. 

Religion in credit makes many professors, 
but few proselytes : but when religion suffers 
then its confessors are no more than its con- 
verts, for custom makes the former, but con- 
science the latter. 

He that is a professor of religion merely for 
custom-sake when it prospers, will never be 
a martyr for Christ's sake when religion suf- 
fers. 

He that owns the truth to live upon that, 
will disown it when it comes to live upon 
him. 

They say, that when a house is decaying 
and falling, all the rats and mice will forsake 
it : while the house is firm, and they may 
shelter in the roof, they will stay, but no lon- 
ger ; lest in the decay, the fall should be up- 
on them, and they that lived at top should die 
at bottom. 

My brethren, may I not say that we have 
many that are the vermin, the rats and mice 
of religion, that would live under the roof of 
it, while they might have shelter in it ; but 
when it suffers, forsake it, least it should fall, 
and the fall should be upon them : I am per^ 
suaded this is not the least reason why God 
hath brought the wheel upon the profession 
of religion, namely, to rid it of the vermhi, 



The Almost Christian. 51 

He shakes the foundation of the house, that 
the?? rats and mice may quit the roof; not to 
overturn it, but to rid them ou* of it, as the 
husbandman fans the wheat that he may get 
rid of the chaff. The haleion days of the ; 
gospel provoke hypocrisy, but the sufferings 
for religion prove sincerity. 

Now then if custom and fashion make many 
men professors, then a man may profess reli- 
gion, and yet be but almost a christian. 

Now the scripture is clear, that a man 
may perish under the highest profession of re- 
ligion. Christ curst the fig-tree, that fiad 
leaves and no fruit. It is said, Matt. viii. 12. 
•'•' thatnthe children of the kingdom shall be 
east out into utter darkness." Who were 
these, but they that were fhen the only people 
of God in the world by profession, that had 
made a covenant with him by sacrifice ?*** 
and yet these were cast out. 

In St. Matthew you read of some that came 
and made boast of their professions to Christ 
hoping that might save them ; Lord, say they, 
" have we not prophesied in thy name, cast 
out devils in thy name, done many wonderful 
works in thy name ?"f 

Now what saith our Lord Christ to this ? 
" Then I will profess unto them, I never knew 
you ; depart from me. ? "J 

Mark, here are them that prophecy in his 
name, and yet perish in his wrath ; in his 
name cast out devils, and then are cast out 

Tsui. 1. 5. f Matt. *h. $£ iVcr* CS, 



52 



The Almost Christian. 



themselves ; in his name do many wonderful 
Works, and yet perish for wicked- workers. 

The profession of religion will no more 
keep a man from perishing, than calling a 
ship the safeguard, or the goodspeed will 
keep her from drowning. 

As many go to heaven with the fear of hell 
in their hearts, so many go to hell with the 
name of Christ in their months. Now then, 
if many may perish under a profession of god- 
liness, then may a man be a high professor 
•f religion, and yet be but almost a chris- 
tian » 

Objection. But is it not said by the Lord 
Christ himself, " he that confesses me before 
men, him will I confess before my father in 
heaven # ?» 

Now for Christ to sav, he will confess us 
before the father, is equivalent to a promise 
of eternal life ; for if Jesus Christ confess us, 
God the father will never disown us. 

True, they that confess Christ, shall be 
confessed by him : and it is as true, that this 
confession is equivalent to a promise of sal- 
vation. But now you must know, that pro- 
fessing Christ, is not confessing him ; for to 
profess Christ is one thing, to confess Christ 
is another: confession is a living testimony 
for Christ in a time when religion suffers : 
profession may be only a lifeless formality in 
a time when religion prospers. To confess 
Christ, is to choose his ways, and own them. 

* Matt.-x.Sft 



Tlie Almost Christian. jB 

To profess Christ, is to plead for his ways, 
ami yet live besides them. Profession may 
be from a feigned lpve to the ways of Christ, 
but confession is from a rooted love to the 
person of Christ. 

To profess Christ, is to own him when 
none deny him ; to confess Christ, Is to plead 
for him, and suffer for him, when others op- 
pose him ; hypocrites may be professors, but 
the martyrs are the true confessors : profes- 
sion is a swimming down the stream, confes- 
sion is a swimming against the stream. Now 
many may swim with the stream,like the dead 
fish, that cannot swim against the stream with 
the living fish ; many may profess Christ, 
that cannot confess Christ ; and so notwith- 
standing their profession, yet are but almost 
christians. 

4. To come yet nearer ; " A man may go 
far in opposing his sin, and yet be but almost 
a christian. ? How far a man may go in this 
work, I shall shew you in seven gradual in- 
stances. 

1. A man "maybe convinced of sin,andyet 
be but almost a christian ;" For, 

1. Conviction may be rational, as well as 
spiritual ; it may be from a natural conscience 
enlightened by the word, without the effectual 
w 7 ork of the spirit, applying sin to the heart. 

2. Convictions may be worn out ; they ma- 
ny times go off, and end not in sound conver- 
sion j saith the church, " We have been with 



54 The Almost Christian, 

child, we have been in pain, we have brought 
forth wind. "# This is the complaint of the 
church in reference to the unprofitableness of 
their afflictions : and it maybe the complaint 
of most in reference to the unprofitableness of 
their convictions^ 

3. Many take conviction of sin to be con- 
version from sin, and so set down, and rest in 
their conviction. That is a sad complaint* 
God makes of Ephraim ; " i^phraim is an un- 
wise son, for be should not stay long in the 
place of the breaking forth of childrenf.*' 
Now then, if convictions may be only from 
natural conscience, if they may be worn out, 
or may be mistaken, and rested in for conver- 
sion, then a man may have convictions, and 
be but almost a Christian. 

Secondly, " A man may mourn for sin, and 
yet be but almost a christian ;" so did Saul* 
so did Rsatf, for the loss of his birth-right, 
which was his sin, and therefore he is called 
by the spirit of God, profane I sau; yet "he 
Bought it again carefully with tears;L" 

Objection. But doth not Christ pronounce 
them blessed that mourn? " Blessed are they 
that mourn $■/* 

Sure then, if a man mourn for sin, he is in a 
good condition : you see, saith Nazianzen, 
that salvation is joined with sorrow. 

Solution. I answer, it is true, that they 
who mourn for sin in the sense Christ there 

* Isa. Xivi 18. j- Hos xiii* 13. 

* 1Kb, xii. 10. 17, $ Matt.v. 4. 



The Mmost Christiar S£ 

Speaks of, are blessed ; but all mourning iof 
sin, doth not therefore render us blessed. 

1. True mourning for sin must flow from 
spiritual convictions of the evil and vileness, 
and damnable nature of sin* 

Now all that mourn for sin, do not do i: 
from a thorough work of spiritual conviction 
upon the soul ; they have not a right sense of 
the evil and vileness of sin. 

3. True mourning for sin, is more for the 
evil that is in sin, than the evil that comes by 
sin ; more because it dishonors God, and 
"wounds Christ, and grieves the spirit, and 
makes the soul unlike God, than because it 
damns the soul. 

Now there are many that mourn for siiu 
not so much for the evil that is in it, as for 
the evil that it brings with it : there is mourn- 
ing for sin in hell : you read of " '"Creeping 
and' wailing' there.*" The damned are weep- 
ing and mourning to eternity, there is all sor- 
row, and no comfort : as in heaven there is 
peace without trouble, joy without mourning, 
so in hell there is trouble without peace, 
mourning without joy, weeping and wailing 
incessantly : but it is for the evil they feel 
by sin, and not for the evil that is in sm ; so 
that a man may mourn for sin, and yet be but 
almost a christian ; it may giieA e him to tlunk 
of perishing for sin, when it does not grieve 
him that he is defiled and polluted by sin. 

Thirdly ; " A man may make large con- 

*Mm* viii. f% 



dfr 



The Mmost Christian. 



fession of sin, to God, to others, and yet be 
but almost a christian." 9 

How ingenuously doth Saul confess his sih 
to David ? " I have sinned, saith he, thou 



art more righteous 



than I ! 



behold, I have 



played the fool r and have erred exceeding 



,* 



SP 



So Judas makes a full confession ; " I have 
sinned in betraying innocent blood. f" 

Yet Saul and Judas were both rejected of 
God ; so that a man may confess sin, and 
yet be but mmost a christian. 

Objection. But is not confession of sin, a 
character of a, child of God ? doth not the a- 
postle say, " If we confess our sins, God is 
just and faithful to forgive them ;" no man 
was ever kept out of heaven for his confessed 
badness, though many are kept out of heaven 
for their .supposed goodness. 

Judah, in Hebrew signifies confession y 
now Judah got the kingdom from Reuben ; 
confession of sin is the way to the kingdom of 
heaven. 

There are some that confess sin, and are 
saved ; there are others that confess sin, and 
perish. 

1. Many confess sin merely out of cus~ 
torn, and not out of conscience ; you shall 
have many that will never pray, but they will 
make a long confession of sin, and yet never 
feel the weight or burden of it upon their con- 
sciences. 

*1 Sam; xxiy, 26, ^d xxr*. 2i* f Matt; sxvff. V 



J?he almost Christian:- &Y 

2; Many will confess lesser sins, and yet 
conceal greater : like the patient in Plutarch, 
that complained to his physician of his finger, 
when his liver was rotten. 

3. Many will confess sin in the general, or 
confess themselves sinners ; and yet see little, 
and say less of their particular sins ; an iin= 
plicit confession, as one saith, is almost as 
bad as an implicit faith. 

Where confession is right, it will be dis- 
tinct, especially of those sins that were our 
chief sins. 

So David confesses his blood-guiltiness and 
adultery* : So Paul hfs blasphemy, persecu- 
tion, and injury against the saints |. It is 
bad to hear men confess they are great sin- 
ners, and yet cannot confess their sins. 

Though the least sin be too bad to be com- 
mitted* vet there is no sin too bad to be confes- 
sed. 

4. Many will confess sin, but it is only un- 
der extremity, that is, not free and voluntary. 
Pharoah confesses his sin, but it was when 
judgment compelled him. " I have sinned a- 
gainst the Lord $," saith be ; but it was when 
he had eight plagues upon him. 

Many do by their sins as mariners do by 
their goods, cast them out in a storm, wishing 
for them again in a calm. Confession should 
come like water out of a spring, which runs 
freely ; no'; liie water out of a still, which is 
forced by fire. 

* Psidm ii. 4> 14. f 1 Tim, i. 13. 19, $ E»L z.U 



;>S 



The almost Christian. 



5. Many confess their sins, but with no in- 
tent to forsake sin : they confess the sins they 
have committed, but do not leave the sins they 
have confessed. 

Many men use confession as Lewis the e- 
ieventh of France did his crucifix ; he would 
swear an oath, and then kiss it : and swear a- 
gain, and then tiss it again. So many sin, 
and then confess they do not well, but yet 
never strive to do better. 

Mr. Torshel tells a story of a minister he 
knew that would be often drunk, and when he 
came into the pulpit, would confess it very la- . 
mentingly : and yet no sooner was he out of 
the pulpit, but he would be drunk again : and 
this would he do as constantly as men follow 
their trades. 

Now then, if a man may confess sin merely 
out of custom : if he may confess lesser sins, 
cind jet conceal greater : if he may confess 
sin only in the general, or only under ex- 
tremity, or if he may confess sin without any 
intent to forsake sin, then surely a man may 
confess sin, and yet be hut almost a christian. 



Fourthly, " A i 



forsake sia, arid 



yet be but almost & christian ;"he may leave 
liis lust, and his wicked ways, which he some- 
times lived in, and in the judgment of the 
world become a new man, and yet not be a 

new creature. Simon Magus, when he hears 
Philip preaching concerning the kingdom of 



The Almost Christian. 5& 

(rod, leaves his sorcery and witchcraft, and 
believes.* 

Objection. But you will say, this seems 
contrary to scripture ; for that says, " He that 
confesseth and forsakeih sin, shall have mer- 
cy : 0, f but I confess sin, yea not only so, but 
also I forsake sin ; sure therefore this mercy 
is my portion, it belongs to me. 

Answer. It is true, that where the soul 
forsakes sin from a right principle, after a 
right manner, to a right end ; where he for- 
sakes sin as sin, as being contrary to God, and 
the purity of his nature ; this declares that 
soul to be right with God, and the promise 
shall be made good to it, "He shall find mer~ 

But "how pray mind, there is a forsaking sin 
that is not right but unsound. 

1. Open sins may be deserted, and yet se~ 
cret sins may be retained ; now this is not a 
right forsaking : such a soul shall never find 
mercy. A man may be cured of a wound in 
his flesh, and yet may die of an impostume in 
his bowels. 

2. A man may forsake sin, but not as sin.: 
for he that forsakes sin as sin, forsakes all sin : 
It is impossible for a man to forsake sin as sin, 
unless he forsakes all that he knows to be sin. 

3. A man may let one sin go, to hold anoth- 
er the faster ; as a man that goes to sea, would 
willingly save all his goods, but if the storm 
arises that he cannot, then he throws som# 



&0 The almost Christian '. 

overboard to lighten the vessel, and save the 
?est. So did they Acts xxvii. 38. 

So the sinner chooses to keep all his sins : 
but if a storm arises in his conscience, why 
then he will heave one lust overboard to save 
the life of another. 

4. A man may let all sin go, and yet be a 
sinner still ; for there is the root of all sin in 
the heart, though the fruit be not seen in the 
life ; the tree lives, though the boughs be lop. 
ped off. 

As a man is a sinner before ever he acts 
sin, so (till grace renew him) he is a sinner, 
though he leaves sin ; for there is original 
sin * in him enough to damn and destroy 
him. 

5. Sin may be left, and yet be loafed ; a 
man may forsake the life of sin, and yet re- 
tain the love of sin ; now though leaving sin 
makes him almost a christian, yet loving sin 
shews he is but almost a christian. 

It is a less evil to do sin, and not love it, 
than to love sin and not do it ; for to do sin 
may argue only weakness of grace, but to love 
sin argues strength of lust. "What I hate,, 
that doI."f 

Sin is bad in any part of man, but sin in 
the affection is worse than sin in the conver- 
sation ; for sin in the conversation may be 
only from infirmity, but sin in the affection is 
the fruit of choice and unregeneracy. 

6. AH sin may be chained ; and yet the 

*J»s»l* \l 5 fRom.vito 15. 



The Almost Christian. 6i 

heart not changed, and so the nature of the 
sinner is the same as ever. — A dog chained 
up, is a dog still, as much as if be was let 
loose to devour. 

There may be a cessation of arms between 
enemies, and yet the quarrel may remain on 
foot still ; there maybe a making truce., where 
there is no making peace. 

\ sinner may lay the weapons of sin out of 
his hand, and yet the enmity against God still 
remain in his heart, 

There may he a truce, he may not sin a- 
gainst him ; but there can be no peace till he 
be united unto him. 

Restraining grace holds in the sinner, but 

•it is renewed grace that changes the nature. 

Now$|any are held in by grace from being 

open sinners, that are not renewed by grace 

and made true believers. 

Now then if a man may forsake open sins, 
and retain secret sins : if he may forsake sin, 
but not as sin ; if he may let one sin go, to 
hold another the faster ; if a man may let all 
sin go, and yet be a sinner still ; if v sin may 
be left, and yet be loved : finally if all sin may 
be chained and yet the heart not changed ; 
then a man may forsake sin, and yet be but 
almost a christian. 

Fifthly, " a man may hate sin, and yet be 
but almost a christian." Absalom hated Am- 
noa's uncleanness with his sister Tamar, yea, 
his hatred was so great, as that lie slew him 

. V 



6£ 



The Almost Christian. 



for it : and yet Absalom was but a wickei. 
man* 

Objection. But the scripture makes it a sign 
®f a gracious heart to hate sin : yea, though 
a man do through infirmities fall into sin, yet 
if he hates it this is a proof of grace. Paul 
proves the sincerity of his heart, and the truth 
of his grace, by this hatred of sin, though he 
committed it : " What I hate, that I do."f 

Nay, what is grace, but confermitas cum 
Archetypo, a conformity of the soul to God ; 
to love as God loves, to hate as God hates : 
now God hates sin, it is one part of his holi- 
ness to hate all sin. 

And if I hate sin, then am I conformed to 
God ; and if I am conformed to God, then am 
I a/togettier a christian. 

Answer* It is true that there is a hatred of 
am, which is a sign of grace, and which flows 
from a principle of grace, and is grace : as 
for instance ; 

To hate sin, as It is an offence to God, a 
wrong to his majesty ; to hate sin, as it is a 
breach of the command, and so a wicked con- 
trolling God's will, which is the only rule of 
goodness ; to hate sin, as being a disingenu- 
ous transgression of that law of love establish- 
ed in the blood and death of Christ, and so in 
a degree a crucifying of Christ afresh. 

To hate sin as being a grieving and quench- 
ing the spirit of God, as ail sin in its nature 
is. 



•SSaauiitUaa;?* 



fRom.Yii. 15, 



The Almost Christian. 63 

Thus to hate sin is grace, and thus every 
true Christian hates sin. 

But though every man that hath grace, hates 
sin, yet every man that hates sin, hath not. 
grace ; For, 

A man may hate sin from other principles* 
not as it is a wrong to God, or a wounding 
Christ, or a grieving the Spirit, for then he 
would hate all sin ; for there is no sin but hath 
this in the nature of it. But, 

1 . A man may hate sin for the shame that 
attends it, more than for the evil that is in it. 
Some sinners there are, " who declare their 
sin as Sodom, and hide it not. They are set 
down in the seat of the scornful ;"* " they 
glory* in their shame. "f But now others 
there are who are ashamed of sin, and there- 
fore hate it, not for the sin's sake, but the; 
shame's sake. This made Absalom hate Am- 
non's uncleanness, because it brought sham* 
upon him and his sister. 

2. A man may hate sin more in others tha?i 
in himself : so doth the drunkard ; he hates 
drunkenness in another, and yet practises it 
himself : the liar hates falsehood in another, 
but likes it in himself. Now he that hatec 
sin from a principle of grace, hates sin most 
in himself ; he hates sin in others, but he 
loaths most the sins of his own heart. 

3. A man may hate oue sin as being contra 
rv to another. There is a great contrariety 
between sin and sin, between lust and lust ; it 



64 The Almost Christian. 

is the excellency of the life of grace, that it is 
a uniform life ; there is no one grace contrary 
to another ; the graces of GodVSpirit are dif- 
ferent but not differing ; faith, and love, and 
holiness, are all one : they consist together 
at the same time, in the same subject ; nay 
they cannot be parted ; there can be no faith 
without love, no love without holiness : and 
so on the other hand, no holiness without love, 
no love without faith. So that this makes the 
life of grace an easy and excellent life, but 
now the life of sin is a distracting contradic- 
tious life, wherein a man is a servant to con- 
trary lusts : the hist of pride and prodigality, 
is contrary to the lust of eovetousness,* &c. 

Now when one lust gets to be the master- 
lust in the soul, then that works a hatred of 
its contrary ; where covetousness gets the 
heart, there the heart hates pride ; and where 
pride gets uppermost in the heart, there the 
heart hates covet >usnes«. Thus a man may 
hate sin, not from a principle of grace, but 
from the contrariety of lust. 

He does not hate anv sin as it is sin ; but 
he hates it, as being contrary to his beloved 
^in. 

Now then, if a man may hate sin for the 
shame that attends it : if he may hate sin more 
in others than in himself ; and if he may hate 
one sin as being contrary to another ; then 
he may hate sin, and yet be but almost a chris 
iian, 

*Tit. iii. a 



The Almost Christian. 6a 

Sixthly, " A man may make great vows 
and promises, be may have strong purposes 
and resolutions against sin, and yet be but 
almost a christian." 

Thus did Saul, he promises and resolves 
against his sin ; " Return my son David, saith 
he, for I will no more do thee harm."* What 
promises and resolves did Pharaoh make a- 
gainst that sin of detaining God's people ? 
saith he, " I will let the people go, that they 
may do sacrifice to the> Lord :"f And again, 
•'■T will let ye go, and ye shall stay no longer.";}: 
And yet Saul and Pharaoh both perished in 
their sins : the greatest purposes and promises 
against sin, will not make a man a christian : 
For, 

1. <* Purposes and promises against sin, 
never hurt sin : we say threatened folk live 
long ;" and truly so do threatened sins. It 
is not new purposes, but a new nature, that 
must help us against sin : purposes may bring 
to the birth but without a new nature, there 
is no strength to bring forth. The new nature 
is the best soil for holy purposes to grow in ; 
otherwise they wither and die, like plants in 
an improper soil. 

2. " Troubles and afflictions may provoke 
us to large purposes and promises against sin 
for the future :" what more common than to 
vow, and not to pay ? to make vows in the day 
of trouble, which we make no conscience to 

*1 Sam. xxvi. %1 fExod. Tiii. 2 3 

fExod. ix, 28, 



W The Almost Christian. 

pay in the day of peace ? many covenant a~ 
gainst sin when trouble is upon them, and 
then sin against their covenant when it is re- 
moved from them. 

It was a brave rule that Pliny in one of his 
epistles, gav^ his friend to live by, " That we 
should continue to be such when we are well, 
as we promise to be when we are sick." 

Many are our sick-bed promises, but we 
are no sooner well, but we grow sick of our 
promises. 

3. " Purposes and resolves against sin for 
the future, may be only a temptation to put oft" 
repentance for the present ;" Satan may put 
a man on to good purposes, to keep him from 
present attempts. 

He knows, whatever we purpose, yet the 
strength of performance is not in ourselves. 

He knows, that purposes for the future, are 
a putting God off for the present ; they are a 
secret will not, to a present opportunity. That 
is a notable passage, " Follow me," saith 
Christ to the two men : now see what an- 
swers they gave to Christ : " suffer me first to 
go and bury my father," says one : this man 
purposes to follow Christ, only he would stay 
to bury his father : says the other, " Lord I 
will follow thee, but first let me go and bid 
them farewell which are at my house," * I 
will follow the^but only I would first go and 
take my leave of my friends, or set my house 
m order : and yet we do not find that ever 

W *Luke ix. 53i 



The Jllmosi Christian, 87 

they followed Christ notwithstanding their 
fair purposes. 

4. " Nature unsanctified may be so far 
wrought 011, as to make great promises and 
purposes against sin. ■"' 

1. A natural man may have great convic- 
tions of sin from the workings of an enlighten- 
ed conscience, 

2. He may approve of the law of God. 

3. He may hare a desire to he saved. 
Now these three together, the workings of 

conscience, the sight of the goodness of the 
law, a desire to be saved, may bring forth in 
a man great purposes against sin, and yet he 
may have no heart to perform his own purpo- 
ses. This was much like the case of them, 
say they to Moses, " Go thou near, and 
hear all that the Lord our God shall saw and 
tell thou it to us, and we will hear it, and 
do it."* 

This is a fair promise, and so God takes it \ 
" I have heard the words of this people, they 
have well said all that they have spoken." f 
So said and so done, had been well, but it 
was better said than done ; for though they 
had a tongue to promise, yet they had no 
heart to perform, and this God saw ; there- 
fore said he, " O that there were such an heart- 
in them, that they w r ould fear me, and keep 
my commandments always, that it might be 
well with them! " % 

•Deut. v. 2f, fBest ? 52 S, 



a£ The Almost Ukri$tian* 

They promised to fear God and keep his 
commandments, bat they wanted a new liearJ 
to perform what an unsanetified heart had 
promised ; it fares with men in this ease, as 
it did with the Hon in the gospel, that said, 
-• He would go into the vineyard, but went 
not"* 

Now then if purposes and promises against 
sin never hurt sin ; if present afflictions may 
draw out large promises, if they may be the 
fruit of a temptation, or if from nature unsane- 
tified ; surely then a man may promise and 
purpose much against sin, and yet be bat aU 
most a christian. 

Seventhly, u A man may maintain a strife 
and combat against sin in himself, and yet be 
but almost a christian. " So did Balaam, when 
he went to curse the people of God, he had a 
great strife within himself ; ".How shall I 
curse, saith he, where God hath not cursed ? 
or how shall I defy whom God hath not de- 
fied."! 

And did not Pilate strive against his sin, 
when he said to the Jews, " Shall I crucify 
your king ? what evil hath he done ? J I am 
innocent of the blood of this just man."y 

Objection. But you will say, " Is not this 
an argument of grace, when there is a striving 
in the soul against sin ? for what should op- 
pose sin in the heart but grace ? •' The apostle 
makes " the lusting of the flesh against the 

*Matt. xxi. 30. fNum. xxiii. 8. 

JMarkxv.- 12. 14 $MaU. axfii 24. 



The Almost Christian. 69 

spirit, and the spirit against the fresh,"* to he 
an argument of grace in the heart. Now I 
find this strife in my heart, though the remain- 
ders of corruption sometimes break out into 
actual sins, yet I find a striving in my soul a- 
gainst sin. 

Answer. It is true, there is a striving a- 
gainst sin which is only from grace, and is 
proper to believers : and there is a striving 
against sin which is not from grace, and there- 
fore may be in them that are not believers. 

There is a strife against sin in one and the 
same faculty ; the will against the will, the 
affection against the affection : and this is that 
which the apostle calls u the lusting of the 
flesh against the spirit ;" that is, the striving 
of the unregenerate part against the regene- 
rate ; and this is ever in the same faculty, and 
is proper to believers only. 

An unbeliever never finds this strife in 
himself: this strife cannot be in him, it is 
impossible, as such, that is, while he is on 
this side a state of grace. 

But then there is striving against sin in di- 
vers faculties, and this is the strife that is in 
them tbat are not believers ; there the strife is 
between the will and the conscience ; con- 
science enlightened and terrified with the 
fear of hell and damnation, that is against 
sin ; the will and affection not being renew- 
ed, they are for sin. And this causes great 

*Gal. y. 17, 



70 The Mrnost Christian. 

tugging and strong combats many times in 
the sinner's heart. 

Thus it was with the Scribes and Phari- 
sees ; conscience convinced them of the di- 
vinity of Christ, and of the truth of his being 
the Son of (rod : and yet a perverse will, 
and carnal affections,-, cry out crucify him 9 
crucify him. — Conscience pleaded for him, 
he had a witness in their bosoms, and yet 
their wills were bent against him ; and there- 
fore they are said to have " resisted the spir- 
it *," namely, the workings and convictions 
of the spirit in their consciences. And this 
is the case of many sinners : when the will 
and affections are for sin, and plead for it^ 
conscience is against it, and many times fright 
the soul from the doing of it. 

And hence men take that which opposes 
sin in them, to be grace, when it is only the 
work of a natural conscience : they conclude 
the strife is between grace and sin, the re- 
generate and unregenerate part ; when, alas f 
it is no other than the contention of a natural 
conscience against a corrupt will and affec- 
tions. — And if so. then a man may have great 
strifes and combats against sin in him ; and 
yet be but almost a Christian* 

5. ;; A man may desire grace, and yet be 
but almost a christian"; so did " the five 
foolish virgins ; give us of your oilf ** : what 
was that but true gracs ? it was that oil that 



The Almost Christian, %i 

lighted the wise virgins into the bridegroom 5 s 
chamber. 

They do not only desire to enter in, but 
desire oil to light them in ; wicked men may 
desire heaven, desire a Christ to save them ; 
there is none so wicked upon earth, but de- 
sire to be happy in heaven. 

But now here are they that desire grace 
as well as glory, and yet these are but almost 
christians. 

Objection. But is it not commonly taught, 
that desires of grace are grace 5 ? ? nay, doth 
not our Lord Christ himself make it so ? Bles- 
sed are they that hunger and thirst after 
righteousness, for they shall be filled #" 

•ivsicer. It is true, that there are some 
desires of grace which are grace : As, 

1. When a man desires grace from a 
right sense of his natural state : when he 
sees the vileness of sin, and the woeful, de- 
filed and loathsome condition he is in by rea- 
son of sin ; and therefore desires the grace of 
Christ to renew and change him; this is 
grace. This some make to be the lowest 
degree of saving faith. 

2. Whdfr a man joins proportionable en- 
deavours to his desires ; doth not only wish 
for grace, but work for grace ; such desires 
are grace. 

3. When a man's desires are constant and 
incessant, that ceasB not but in the attain- 
ment of their object ; such desires are true 

*M*tt t. S. 



I 



J 



*tfk The Mmost Christian. 

grace. They are a part of the special work 
of the Spirit. They do really partake of the 
mature of grace ; now it is a known maxim. 
" that which partakes of the nature of the 
whole, is a part of the whole" : the filings of 
gold are gold. The sea is not more really 
Water; than the least drop ; the flame is not 
more really fire than the least spark. 

But though all true desires of grace, are 
grace : yet all desires of grace are not true : 
Foi> 

1. A man may desire grace, but not for it- 
self, but for somewhat else: not grace for 
grace's sake, but for heaven's sake ; he doth 
not desire grace,thathis nature maybe chang- 
ed, his heart renewed, the image of God 
stampt upon him, and his lusts subdued in 
him. 

These are blessed desires,found only in true 
believers. The true christian only can de- 
sire grace for grace's sake ; but the almost 
christian may desire grace for heaven's sake. 

2. A man may desire grace without pro- 
portionable endeavors after grace ; many are 
good at wishing, but bad at working ; like 
him that lay in the grass on a summer's day, 
crying out, " O that this were to work"! 

v oloman saith, " The desire of the sloth- 
ful kills him :" How so ? "For his hands 
refuse to labor ;* He perisheth in his desires. 

The believer joins desires and endeavors 
together : " One thing have I desired of the 

♦Prov.xxi. 25. 



The Mmost Christian* 73 

Lord, and that will I seek after".* 

3. A man's desires of grace may be un- 
seasonable ; thus the foolish virgins desired 
oil when it was too late. 

The believer's desires are seasonable ; he 
desires grace in the season of grace and seeks 
in a time when it may be found. " The wise 
man's heart knows both time and judgment." 
-f* He knows his season, and hath wisdom to 
i mprove it. 

The silly sinner doth all his works out of 
season ; he sins away the seasons of grace, 
and then desires grace when the season is 
over : The sinner doth all too late, as Esau 
desired the blessing when it was too late, and 
therefore he lost it: whereas had he come 
sooner, he had obtained it. 

Most men are like Epimetheus, wise 
too late, they come when the market is done ; 
when (rod hath shut in shop, then they have 
their oil to get. 

When they lie upon their death -beds, them 
they desire holy hearts. 

4. Desires of grace in many are very in- 
constant and fleeting, like the " morning dew 
that quickly passes away %\ or like Jonah's 
gourde," that springs upin a night, and with- 
ers in a night ; they Imve no root in the heart, 
and therefore quickly perish : Now, if a maa. 
may desire grace, but not for grace's sake ; 
if desires may be without endeavors : if a man 

* Psaim xxrii. 4. f Keel. 8. 5, 

tHos. vi.4. UJonahiv.6. 



74 The Almost Christian. 

may desire grace when it is too late ; if these 
desires may be but fleeting and inconstant ; 
then may a man desire grace, and yet be hut 
almost a christian. 

6. " A man may tremble at the word of 
God and yet be but almost a christian", as 
Belshazzar did at the handwriting upon the 
wall, 

Objection. But is not that a note of sinceri- 
ty and truth of grace, to tremble at the word ? 
doth not God say, "To him will I look that 
is of a poor and contrite spirit, and trembles 
at my word*". 

Answer. There is a twofold trembling. — 
i. One is, when the word discovers the guilt 
of sin, and the wrath of God that belongs to 
that guilt ; this, where conscience is awake, 
causes trembling and amazement ; thus when 
" Paul preached of righteousness and judg- 
ment, it is said Felix trembledf". 

3. There is a trembling which arises from 
a holy dread and reverence of the majesty of 
God, speaking in his word ; this is only found 
in true believers, and is that which keeps the 
soul low in its own eyes. Therefore mark 
how the words run ; l< To him will I look 
that is of a poor and contrite spirit, and trem- 
bles at my word J." 

God does not make the promise to him that 
trembles at the word 5 for the devils believe 
and tremble ; the word of God can make the, 
proudest, stoutest sinner in the world to shake 

* Isa. Ixvi, 2, f Acta xxiv. 25, * tsa. lxti. S, 



The Almost Christian. 75 

and tremble, but it is " to the poor and contrite 
spirit that trembles."* Where trembling is 
the fruit of a spirit broken for sin, and low in 
its own eyes, there will God look. 

Now many tremble at the word, but not 
from poverty of spirit, not from a heart broken 
for sin. and low in its own eyes : not from a 
sense of the majesty and holiness of God : 
and therefore notwithstanding they tremble at 
the word, yet they are but almost christians. 

7. " A man may delight in the word and 
ordinances of God, and yet be but almost a 
Christian : > "They take delight in approach- 
ing to Godf .". 

And it is said of that ground, that it " re- 
ceived the word with joy," and yet it was 
but " stony ground ?, .f 

Objection. But is if not made a character 
of a godly man, to delight in the word of 
God ? doth not David say, " He is a blessed 
man that delights in the law of the Lord ?"^T 

An steer. There is a delishtins; in the 
word, which flows from grace, and is a proof 
•f blessedness. 

1. He that delights in the word because of 
its spirituality, he is a Christian indeed : the 
more spiritual the ordinances are. the more 
doth a gracious heart delight in them. 

2. When the word comes close to the con 
science, rips up the heart, and discovers sin, 
and yet the soul delights in it notwithstand- 
mg : this is a sign of grace. 

* James ii 19, f Isa. Iviii. 2. 

* Matt siiiSfe K Psalm "*= ** 



76 The Almost Christian. 

3. When delight arises from that com. 
minion that is to be had with God there ; this 
is from a principle of grace in the soul. 

But there may be a delight in the Avord, 
where there is no grace. 

i. There are many delight in the word, 
feecause of the eloquence of the preacher : 
they delight not so much in the truths deliv- 
ered, as in the dress they are delivered in. 
Thus it is said of the prophet Ezekiel, that he 
was to them " as a very lovely song of one 
that hath a pleasant voice ."* 

2. There are very many delight to hear 
the word; that yet take no delight to do it : 
so saith God of them, " they delight to hear 
my words, but they do them not ."f 

Now then if a man may delight in the 
word, more because of the eloquence of the 
preacher, than because of the spirituality of 
the matter ; if he may delight to hear the 
word, and yet not delight to do it : then lie 
may delight in the word, and yet be but almost 
a christian. 

8. " A man may be a member of the 
church of Christ, he may join himself to the 
people of God, partake with them in all or- 
dinances ; and share of all church privileges, 
and yet be but almost a christian." 

So the five foolish virgins joined themselves 
to the w T ise, and walked together. 

Many may be members of the Church of 

*J3zek. xxxiii. 52, I Ezck. xxxiii, %% 




The Almost Okristian* J? 



Christ-, and yet not members of Christ, the 
head of the church. 

There was a mixed multitude came up 
with the church of Israel out of Egypt 'f they 
joined themselves to the Israelites, owned 
their God, left their own country, and yet 
were in heart Egyptians notwithstanding.-^* 
" All are not Israel, that are of Israel fj* 

The church in all ages hath had unsouud 
members : Cain had communion with Abel; 
Ishmael dwelt in the same house with Isaac ; 
Judas was in fellowship with the Apostles ; 
and sa was Demas with the rest of the disci- 
ples, 

There will he some bran in the finest meal : 
the drag-net of the Gospel catches bad fish as 
well as good ; the tares and the wheat grovr 
together, and it will be so till the harvest. 

God hath a church where there are no 
members but such as are true members of 
Christ, but it is in heaven, it is the church of 
the first-born f :> there are no hypocrites, 
xiar rotten, unsound professors, none but the; 
u spirits of just men made perfect J," all is 
pure wheat that God layethup in the garner ; 
there the chaff is separated to unquenchable 
fire. 

But in the church on earth the wheat and 
the chaflflie in the same heap together, the 
Samaritans will be near of kin to the Jews 
when they are in prosperity, so while the 
ehurch of God flourisheth in the world, ma- 

*Rom, fe. 6. tHefc. sn. 2-3. 4MV.t. Hi. 12. 



78 The Almost Christian. 

ny will join to it ; they will seem Jews, 
though they are Samaritans, and seem saints, 
though yet they are no better than almost 
christians. 

9. " A man may have great hopes of hea- 
ven, great hopes of being saved, and yet be 
but almost a christian." 

Indeed there is a hope of heaven which is 
4i the anchor of the soul sure and steadfast,*" 
it never miscarries, and it is known by four 
properties. 

First. It is a hope which purifies the heart, 
purges out sin : " He that hath this hope,, 
purifies himself even as God is pure f. ? That 
soul that truly hopes to enjoy God, truly en- 
deavors to be like God. 

Secondly. It is a hope which fills the 
heart with gladness ; " We rejoice in hope 
of the glory of God.";}; 

Thirdly. It is a hope that is founded upon 
the promise ; as there can be no true faith 
without a promise, so, nor any true hope ; 
Faith applies the promise, and hope expects 
the fulfilling the promise ; faith relies upon 
the truth of it, and hope waits for the good of it, 
gives interest, hope expects liv en/ and seisin. % 

Fourthly. It is a hope that is wrought by 
God himself in the soul : who is therefore 
called, " The God of hope §," as being the 
author as well as the object of hope. Now 
he that hath this hope shall never miscarry ** 

* Keb. Ti. 19. f 1 J » hn i"- 3 - iUom. v. %. 
Jjja'W terms, signifying the act of taking possession. 
JPsal, cxxx. 5. Bom. x\\ 13.. 



The Almost Christian, vit 

'This is a right hope ; the hope of the true 
believer ; " Christ in you the hope of glory. *V 

But then, as there is a true and sound 
hope, so there is a false and rotten hope % 
and this is much -more common, as bastard- 
pearls are more frequently worn than true 
pearls. 

There is nothing more common, than to 
see men big with groundless hopes of hea- 
ven ; As ? 

1. A man may have great hope that liatlt 
,no grace : you read of the <• hope of hypo- 
crites. ? t 

The performance of duties is a proof of 
their hope : the foolish virgins would never 
have done what they did, had they thought 
they should have been shutout after all. 

Many professors would not he at such pain? 
in duties as they are, if they did not hope for 
heaven. Hope is the great motive to action i 
despair cuts the sinews of all endeavors ; that 
is one reason why the damned in hell cease 
acting toward an alteration of their state^ be- 
cause despair halh taken hold of them; if 
there were any hope in hell, they would up 
and be doing there. So that there may be 
great hope where there is no grace : experi- 
ence proves this : formal professors are men 
of no grace, but yet men of great hopes ; nay* 
many times you shall find that none fear 
more about their eternal condition, than Uiqy 
that have most cause of hope : and none hope 

*Ctf. i. 27, f Jot YiH i& 



80 The Almost Christian 

more than they that have most cause of feai\ 
As interest in God may sometimes be with- 
out hope, so nope in God may be without in- 
terest. 

S. A man may hope in the mercy, and 
goodness, and power of God, without eying 
the promise ;. and this is the hope of most"; 
God is full of mercy and goodness, and there- 
fore willing to save : and he is infinite in 
power, and therefore able to save : why 
therefore should I not rest upon him ? 

Now it is presumption, and therefore sin r 
to hope in the mercy of God, otherwise than 
by eying the promise ; for the promise is the 
channel of mercy, the pipe through which it 
is conveyed ; all the blessedness the saints 
enjoy in heaven, is no other than what is the 
fruit of the promise relied on, and hoped for 
here on earth. A man hath no warrant to 
hope in God, but by virtue of the promise. 

3. A man may hope for heaven, and yet 
not cleanse his heart, nor depart from his se- 
cret sins : that hope of salvation that is ncft 
accompanied with heart-purification, that is 
a vain hope. 

4. A man may hope for heaven, and yet 
be doing the work of hell : he may hope for 
salvation, and yet be working out his *own 
damnation, and so perish in his confidences ; 
This is the case of many, Male agendo spc~ 
rant, et sperando pereunt ; (they hope while 
they do evil, and they perish with the hope^ 
like the water-man that looks one way^ and 
rows another .; many have their eyes on hea~ 



The Almost Christian. Si 

ven whose hearts are in the earth : they 
hope in God, but choose hiin not for a portion ; 
they hope in God, but do not love him as the 
best good, and therefore are like to have no 
portion in him, nor good by him ; but are 
like to perish without him, notwithstanding 
all their hopes : " What is the hope of the 
hypocrite ; though he hath gained, when 
God takes away his soul ?"* 

Now then, if a man may have great hope 
of heaven, that hath no grace ; if he may hope 
in mercy, without eying the promise ; if he 
may hope without heart-purifying : if he may 
hopa for heaven, and yet do*the work of hell ; 
surely then a man may have great hopes of 
heaven, and yet be hit almost a christian. 

10. " A man may be under great and visi- 
ble changes, and these wrought by the minis- 
try of the word, and yet be but almost a chris- 
tian, as Herod was." It is said, " when he 
heard John Baptist, he did many tilings an d 
heard him gladlyf ." Saul was under a great 
change when he met the Lord's prophets, he 
turned prophet too. 

Nay, it is said, ver. 9. of that chapter, that 
"God gave him another heart. '"J 

Now was not this a work of grace? and 
was not Saul here truly converted? one would 
think he was, but yet indeed he was not. — 
For though it is said God gave Urn av other- 
heart : *yet it is not said, that God gave him 
a new heart. 

- 

* Job xxvii. 8. j\n& . vi. 23. i i Sam. x, 



8& TJie Almost Christian. 

There is a great difference between anoth- 
er heart, and a new heart ; God gave him 
another heart, to fit him for a ruler, but gave 
him not &neiv heart, to make him a believer; 
another heart miy mike another mm, but it is 
a neia heart that makes a new man. 

Again, Simon Magus is a great proof of this 
truth : he was under a great and visible 
change : of a Sorcerer he was turned to be a 
Believer, he left his witchcrafts and sorceries, 
and embraced the gospel ; was not this a great 
change ? 

If the drunkard doth but leave his drunk- 
enness, the swearer his oaths, the profane per- 
son his profaneness, they think this is a 
gracious change, and their state is now good: 
Alas ! Simon Magus did noc only leave his 
sins, but he had a kind of conversion ; for "he 
believed, and was baptised*." 

Objection. " But is not that man that rs 
changed, a true christian. 

Answer. Not every change makes a man a 
christian ; indeed there is a change, that who* 
ever is under it, he is a true christian. 

When a man's heart is so changed, as that 
it is renewed : when old things "are done a- 
way, and all is become newf ;" when the 
new creature is wrought in the soul, when a 
man is " turned from darkness to light, from 
the power of Satan to God J;" when the mind 
is enlightened, the will renewed,the affections 
made heavenly ; then a man is a christian in- 
deed. 

•Acts viii. 13. f\Gor v. 17. * Acttxxrf. i? 



The Mmest Christian. 88 

But now yon must know that every change 
Is not this change ; For, 

1. There is a civil change, a moral change, 
as well as a spiritual and supernatural change. 

Many men are changed in a moral sense 
and one may say, they are become new men ; 
but they are in heart and nature the same 
men still ; they are not changed in a spiritu 
al or supernatural sense, and therefore it can- 
not be said of them, that they are become 
new creatures. 

Restraining grace may cause a moral 
change ; but it is renewing grace that must 
cause a saving change. Now many are un- 
der restraining grace, and so changed moral- 
ly, that are not under the power of renewing 
grace, and so -changed savingly. 

S. There is an outward change, as well 
as an inward change : the outward change is 
often without the inward, though the inward 
change is never without the outward. A 
man's heart cannot be sanctified, but it will 
influence the life ; but a man's life may be 
reformed, and yet never affect or influence the 
heart. 

3. A man may be converted from a course 
of profaneness to a form of godliness ; from 
a filthy conversation to a fair profession ; and 
yet the heart the same in one and the other. 
A rotten post may be gilt without, and yet un- 
sound within. 

It is common to have the outside of the cup 
and plattermz&z clean, and yet the inside foul 
and filthy* 



8* 5%e Almost Christian. 

Now then, if a man may be changed mor- 
ally, and yet not spiritually, outwardly, and 
yet not inwardly, from a course of profane- 
ness, to a lifeless form of godliness ; then a 
man may be under great and visible changes, 
and yet be no more than almost a christian. 

I do not speak this to discountenance any 
change, short of that that is spiritual ; but to 
awaken you to seek after that change which 
is more than moral. It is good to be outward- 
ly reformed, but it is better to be savingly re- 
newed. 

I know how natural it is for men to take up 
with any thing like a work of conversion, 
though it be not conversion ; and resting in 
that, they eternally perish. 
Beloved, let me tell you there is no change no 
conversion can stead your souls in the day of 
judgment, on this side that saving work,which 
is wrought on the soul by the spirit of God, f 
renewing you throughout ; the sober man 
without this change, shall as surely go to 
hell 5 as the foolish drunkard. 
» Morality &nd civility may commend us to 
men, but not to God. They are of no value 
in the procurement of an eternal salvation. 

A man may go far in an outward change, 
and yet not be one step nearer heaven, than he 
that never was under any change : nay, he 
may be, in some sense, further off; as Christ 
saith, the scribes and pharisees " were further 

# Matt, xxiii. fti f 1 Thet. r. 2S, 



The Almost Christian, 85 

from heaven,"* with all their shew of godli- 
ness, than publicans and harlots in all their 
sin and uncleanness. Because resting in a 
false work, a partial change, we neglect to 
seek after a true and saving change. There 
is nothing more common, than to mistake our 
state, and by overweening thoughts mis^ 
judge our condition, and so perish in our own 
delusions. 

The world is full of these foolish builders, 
that lay the foundation of their hopes of eter- 
nal salvation upon the sand.f 

Now, my brethren, would you not mistake 
the way to heaven, and perish in a delusion ? 
would you not be found fools at last ? for 
none are such fools as the spiritual fool, who 
is a fool in the great business of salvation. 
Would you not be fools for your souls, and for 
eternity ? O then labour after, and pray for, a 
thorough work of conversion ; beg of God 
that he would make a saving change in your 
souls, that you may be altogether christians ; 
all other changes below this saving change, 
this heart-change, make us but almost chris- 
tians. 

11. " A man may be very zealous in the 
matters of religion, and yet be bat almost a 
christian :" Jehu did not only serve God, 
and do what he commanded him but was very 
zealous in his service. " Come with me, and 
see my zeal for the Lord of hosts ;"| and yet 
in all this Jehu was a very hypocrite* Joash 

•Matt. Kxi. 31 . -4*|&tt. «& $& *2 Kiogs x. 16. 

H 



84 The Almost Christian. 

was a great reformer in Jehoiada's time : it i$ 
said, " He did that which was right in the 
eyes of the Lord, all the days of Jehoiada the 
priest."* But when Jehoiada died Joash'g 
zeal for God died with him. and he become a 
very wretch. 

Objection. But the apostle makes zeal to be 
a note of sound Christianity ; " It is good ta 
be zealously affected in good things ;"f nay, 
it seems to be the non-such qualification for 
obtaining eternal life ; " The kingdom of 
heaven suffereth violence, and the violent 
take it by force.^J 

Answer. It is true, there is a zeal which is 
good, and which renders the soul highly ac- 
ceptable to (rod, a zeal that never misses of 
heaven and salvation. 

Now this is a zeal which is a celestial fire, 
the true temper and heat of all the affections 
to God and Christ ; it is a zeal wrought and 
kindled in the soul by the spirit of God ; who 
first works it, and then sets it on work. It is 
a zeal that hath the word of God for its guide, 
directing it in working, both in regard of its 
object and end, manner and measure. It is a 
zeal that checks sin, and forwards the heaven- 
ly life. It is a zeal that makes the glory of 
God its chief end, which swallows up all by- 
ends ? " The zeal of thy house hath eaten 
^meup."§ 

But now all zeal is not this kind of zeal 

*2 Chi on. xxix. 2, 17, 18, -}Gai. iv, 18 

ijMatt. *h 12. JJohn ii 17, 



r Me Almost Ckvistim. §7 

there is a false #eal as well as a true ; every 
graee hath its counterfeit ; as there is fire? 
which is true hea\enly fire on the altar, so 
there is strange fire : Nadab and Abihu offer- 
ed strange fire upon God's altar,"* 

There are several kinds of #eal, none of 
which are true and sound, but false and coun- 
terfeit. 

I shall instance in eight particulars : 

First, u There is a blind #eal," a #eal with- 
out knowledge ; " They have a #eal saith the 
apostle, but not according to knowledge."! 
Now as knowledge without #eal is fruitless, 
so zeal without knowledge is dangerous, it is 
like wild-fire in the hand of a fool, or like the 
devil in the man possess d, that threw him 
" sometimes into the fire, sometimes into the 
water."{ 

The eye is the light of the body, and the 
understanding is the light of the soul ; now as 
the body, without the light of the eye, cannot 
go without stumbling ; so the soul without 
the light of the mind, cannot act without err- 
ing. 

Zeal without knowledge, is like an ignus 
fatuus in a dark night, that leads a traveller 
out of his way into the bogs and mire. This 
was the #eal of ^aul while he was a Pharisee ; 
" 1 was zealous towards God, as ye all ara 
this day ; and I persecuted this way unto the 
death. 1 And again, " I verily thought with 

*Lev. x. 1 fRom. x. 2. 



88 



The Almost (ikristiau. 






myself, I ought to do many things contrary t« 
the name of Jesus of Nazareth : v * And "Con~ 
eerning #eal, persecuting the church. ''f 

Such a #eal was that in John, " They shall 
put you out of the synagogue," silence you, 
you shall not be suffered to preach ; "yea the 
time comes, that whosoever kills you, will 
think that he doeth God service %" 'This is 
great seal, and yet it is blind seal ; and that 
God abhors. 

Secondly, " There is a partial seal"; in 
one thing fire hot, in another key cold ; zealous 
in this thing, "and yet careless in another ; ma- 
ny are first-table christians, zealous in the du- 
ties of the first table, and yet neglect the se- 
cond ; thus the Pharisees were zealous in 
their Corban,§ and yet unnatural to their' pa- 
rents, suffering them to starve and perish. 
Others are second-table christians, zealous in 
the duties of the second table, but neglect the 
first : more for righteousness anions; men, than 
for holiness towards God. But now he whose 
Religion ends with the first table, or begins 
with the second, he is a fool in his profession : 
for lie is hut almost a christian. 

The woman that was for the- dividing the 
child, w as not the true mother 
is for d viding the commands, 
believe? . 

Jehu was zealous agiinst Ahab's Jiouse ; 



: ana he 
is not 



that 
a true 



* Acts xxvi. 9. 
4John xyL l 2. 



fPhil. iii 6. 



The Mmost Christian, 89 

but no: so against Jeroboam's calves* : many 
are zealous against sin of opinion, that yet use 
no zeal against the sins of their conversa- 
tion. 

Now as we know that the sweat of the 
whole body is a sign of health, but the sweat 
of some one part only shews a distemper, and 
therefore physicians do reckon such a heat 
to be symptomatica^ 

So where zeal reaches to every command 
of God alike, that is a sign of a sound consti- 
tution of soul ; but where it is partial, where 
a man is hot in one part, and cold in another ;" 
that is symptomatieal of some inward spiritu- 
al distempei\ 

Thirdly, " There is a misplaeed zeal ;'* 
fixed upon unsuitable, and disproportionable 
objects ; many are very zealous in trifling 
tilings that are net worth it, and trifle in the 
things that most require it; like the Phari- 
sees that were diligent tythers of " Mint, An- 
nise and cummin", but neglected the " weigh- 
tier matters of the law ; Judgment, Mercy and 
Faith f". They had no zeal for these, tko' 
very hot for the other ; many are more zeal- 
ous for a ceremony, than for the substance of 
religion : more zealous for bowing at the 
name of Jesus, than for conformity to the 
life of Jesus , more zealous for a holy vest- 
ment, than for a holy life ; more zealous for 
the inventions of men, than for the institutions 
of Christ* 

* £Kii«£sx, t$ 5 swasared with verse 19, f Mttt« ££iii?23, 

m 



iW The Almost Christian. 

Tliis is a superstitious ;seal, and usually 
found in men unconverted, whom grace nev- 
er was wrought in : When 1 was it'that Paul 
was so " exceeding zealous of the traditions 
of his Fathers," as he saith*,but only when 
he was in his wretched and unconverted 
state ? as you may see in the next verses ? 
44 But when it pleased God to call me by his 
grace, then I conferred not with flesh and 
bloodf" : Paul had another kind of %eal then, 
acted by other kind of principles. 

Fourthly, " There is a selfish ^eal, v that 
hath a man's own ends for its motive ; Jehu 
was very zealous, but it was not so much for 
God, as for the kingdom : not so much in obe- 
dience to the command, as in design to step 
into the throne : and therefore God threatens 
to punish him for that very thing he commands 
him to do ; "I will avenge the blood of Je%- 
reel upon the house of JehuJ : Because he 
shed that blood to gratify his lust, not to obey 
God. So Simeon and Levi pretend great %eai 
for circumcision, seem very zealous for the 
honour of God's ordinances, when in truth 
their #eal was covetousness, and revenge up- 
on the Scechemites.^ 

Fifthly, " There is an outside #eal" ; such 
was that of the Scribes and Pharisees, they 
would not eat with unwashed hands, but yet 
would live in unseen sins : they would wash 

* Gal. L14. 
*j- Heathens will rise up in judgment against such men. 
t Hos. i. 4. 
C Gen. xxxiv. 14, 15, cornered with Terse &$*&'• * 8, *** 



The Almost Christian, 04 

Vbe cup often,, but the heart seldom : paint the 
butside, but neglect the inside : Jehu was a 
mighty outside reformer, but he reformed no- 
thing within* for he had a base heart under 
all. " Jehu took no heed to walk in the law of 
the Lord with all his heart*" ; Though his 
fleece was fair, his liver was rotten. 

Our Lord Christ observes of the Pharisees 
*•' They pray to be seen of men" ; and fast so. 
'•that they may appear to men to fastf". 

Sixthly, u There is a forensic #eal" : that 
runs out upon others, like the candle in the 
lanthorn, that sends all the heat out at the top; 
or as the lewd woman Solomon mentions, 
whose "feet abide not in her own liousej". 

Many are hot and high against the sins of 
others, and yet cannot see the same in them- 
selves : like the Lamiae, that put on their 
spectacles when they went abroad, but pulled 
them off within doors. 

It is easy to see faults in others, and as hard 
to see them in ourselves. Jehu was zealous 
against Baal and his priests, because that was 
Ahab's sin ; but not against the calves of Be- 
thel, because that was his own sin. This seal 
is the true character of ail hypocrite ; his own 
garden is overrun with weeds, while lie is 
busy in looking over his neighbor's pale. 

Seventhly, " There is a sinful #eap : all 
j the former maybe called sinful from some de- 
fect : but this I call sinful in a more special 
notion, because against the life and chief of 

* 2 Kings y, lfVSL f M&tt, Vi.ver, JO. ± Prov. viii. 11- 



92 



The Almost Christian. 



religion ; It is a seal against zeal, that flies 
not at profaneness, bat at the very power of 
godliness ; not at error, hut at truth ; and is 
most hot against the most spiritual and im- 
portant truths of the times. Whence else 
are the sufferings of men for the truth, but 
from a spirit of seal against the truth ? This 
may be called a devilish seal, for as there is 
the faith of devils, so there is the seal of de- 
vils ; " Therefore his rage is great, because 
he knows his time is short.*" 

Eightly, " There is a scriptureless seal ;" 
that is not butted and bounded by the word, 
but by some base and low end. Such was 
SauPs zeal, when God bids him destroy A* 
malek, " and spare neither man nor beastf " ; 
then contrary to God's command, he spares 
the best of the sheep and oxen, under pre- 
tence of zeal for God's sacrifice. 

Another time, when he had no such com- 
mand, then he slew the u Gibeonites in zeal 
to the children of Israel and JudahJ." 

Many a man's seal is greater then and 
there when and where he hath the least war- 
rant from God. 

The true spirit of seal is bounded by scrip- 
ture ; for it is for God, and the concernment 
of his glory : God hath no glory from that 
seal that hath no scripture warrant. 

Now then if the seal of a man in the things 
of God may be only a blind seal, or a par- 
tial seal, or a misplaced seal, or a selfish 
seal, or an outside seal, or a forensick seaif 

* Jm. ii. 10, Rev. Ku. Iff 1 * Sfam. kt. *, tt Sa» uifl 



TJie Almost Christian. 9# 

or a sinful seal, or a seriptureless seal ; tlien 
it is evident that a man may be very zealous 
in the matters of religion, and yet be but al- 
most a christian. 

12. " A man may be much in prayer, he 
may pray often, and pray much, and yet be 
but almost a christian. - 

So did the Pharisees, whom yet our Lord 
Christ rejects for hypocrites *•" 

Objection. But is not a praying frame 
an argument of a sincere heart ? are not the 
aaints of God called, " The generation of 
them that seek the face of God f>\ 

Answer. A man is not therefore a Chris-, 
tian, because he is much in prayer. 1 grant 
that those prayers that are from the work- 
ings and fighting of God's spirit in us : from 
sincere hearts lifted up to God : from a sense 
of our own emptiness, and God's infinite ful- 
ness : that are suited to God's will, the great 
rule of prayer : That are for spiritual things 
more than temporal : that are accompanied 
with faith and dependence : such prayers 
speak a man altogether a christian.- But 
now a man may be much in prayer, and yet 
be a stranger io such prayer ; as, 

1. Nature may put a man upon prayer, 

for it is a part of natural worship : it may'pnt 

a child of God upon prayer: so did Christ; 

(k He went and fell on his face and prayed. 

1 saying, O my father, if it b e possible, let this 

| cup pass from rae.J" Thi s was a prayer of 

♦Matt. v.ii. 13, fPsal. xxiv. 6. tMatt. xxvi. 59, 42, 



01 'Me Almost Christian. 

Christy which flowed from the sinless strug- 
gles of nature, seeking its own preservation. 

&. A man may pray in pretence, for a cov- 
ering to some sin ; so did those devout Phar- 
isees : "Wo to you Scribes and Pharisees, 
hypocrites, for ye devour widows' houses, and 
for a pretence make long prayers, therefore ye 
shall receive the greater damnation.' * So 
the papists seem very devout to pray a rich 
man's soul out of purgatory, but it is to cheat 
the heir of much of his estate, under pretence 
of praying for his father's soul. 

3. A man may pray, and yet love sin : as 
Austin before conversion, prayed against his 
sin, but was afraid God should hear him, and 
take him at his word. Now God hears not 
such prayers ; " If I regard iniquity in my 
heart, God will not hear my prayerf ". 

4. A man may pray much for temporal 
things, and little for spiritual things : and 
such are the prayers of most/men, crying out- 
most for temporal things .• More for, " Who 
will shew us any good ? than for, Lord, lift 
up on us the light of thy countenance." David 
copies out the prayer of such : " that our sons 
may be as plants, and that our daughters may 
be as corner-stones polished after the similitude 
of a palace : that our garners may be full, cSfc. 
Happy is the people that is in such a case.'' 
This is the carnal heart's prayer ; and thisDa- 
vid calls vanity, " They are strange children, 
whose mouth speaketh vanity.J" 

♦Matt, xxiii. 14. fPsal. Iky?.. 18 

IfceaMv. G.andcxliy. 11—15, 



*Tke Almost Christian. 95 

5. A man may pray, and yet be far from 
God in prayer. " This people draw nigh to 
me with their mouths, and honour me with 
their lips, but their heart is far from me."* 
A man may pray and yet have no heart in 
prayer, and that (rod chiefly looks at ; My 
son give me thy heart."f 

The Jews have this sentence written upon 
the walls of their synagogues ; " Prayer, with- 
out the intention of the mind, is but a body 
without a soul.' 

It is not enough to be conscionable to use 
prayer, but we must be conscionable to the 
use of prayer. Many are so conscientious, 
that they dare not but pray ; and yet so irre- 
ligious, that they have no heart in prayer ; a 
common work of God may make a man con- 
scionable to do duties, but nothing less than 
saving grace in the heart will make a man 
conscionable in the doing of them. 

6. A man's prayer may be a lie ; as a pro- 
fession without sanctity is a lie to the world; 
so prayer without sincerity, is a lie to God. 
It is said of Israel, that they " sought God, 
and God enquired early after him :" They 
were much in prayer, and God calls all but a 
lie. " Nevertheless they did flatter him with 
their mouth, and they lied to him with their 
tongues, for their he&rt was not with him ;% 
hearken to my prayer, tlrat goeth not out of 
feigned lips/* || saith David. 

*Matt. xv. 8, Isa. xxix. 13, fProv. xxiii. 2€, 

tFsai. ixxyiii. 34 36. 37. IJPsai. IxxxriL 1. 



96 The Almost Christian* 

7* Affliction and the pressures of outward 
evils, will make a man pray, and pray much : 
& When he slew them, then they sought him, 
and returned, and enquired early after God.*'' 
The heathen mariners called every man upon 
his God when in a storm : when they fear 
drowning then they fall to praying, Jonah 1. 
5* Mariners are for the most part none of the 
devoutesl, nor much addicted to prayer : they 
will swear twice, where they pr«vy once, and 
yet it is said, " They cry to the Lord in 
their troublef" : and heace you have a pro- 
verb, " He that cannot pray, let him go to 
sea." 

u They poured out a prayer when thy chas- 
tening was upon them"$ 

Now then if nature may put a man upon 
prayer j if a man may pray in pretence, and 
design, if a man may pray, and yet love sin, 
if a man may pray mostly for temporal things, 
if a man may pray, and yet be far from God 
inprayer, if prayer may be a lie, or if it may be 
only the cry of the soul under affliction ; sure 
then a man may be much in prayer, and yet 
be but almost & christian. 

Objection. But suppose a man pray, ant 
prevail with God in prayer, surely that is 
witness from heaven, of a man's sincerity ii 
prayer ; now I pray and prevail, I ask, ant 
am answered, 

Answer. A man may pray, and be answer-] 
ed, for God many times answers prayers ii 

*Psal. Ixxviii. 34. $Psal- cvii. 23, 2*. tlsa. kx? 1 16. 



The Almost Citrisiiim, WT 

judgment : As God is sometimes silent in 
mercy/ so he speaks in wrath : and as he some- 
times denies prayer in mercy, so he some- 
times answers in judgment, when men are 
over-importunate in something their lusts are 
upon, and will take no nay, then God answers 
in judgment, u He gave them their own de- 
sire."* They had desired quails, and God 
sends them : Bat now mark the judgment. 
" While the meat was in their mouths, the 
wrath of God came upon them and slew 

em."t 

Objection. But suppose a man's affection- 
are much stirred in prayer, how then ? is 
that a true note of Christianity? now myaf 
lections are much stirred in prayer. 

Answer. So was Esau's when he sought the 
blessing ; "He sought it carefully with teav- 
A man may be affected with his own parts in 
a duty, while good notions pass through his 
head, and good words through his lips, some 
good motions also may stir in his heart, but 
they are but sparks which fly out at the tun- 
nel of the chimney, which suddenly vanish; 
so that it is possible a man may pray and pre- 
vail in prayer : pray, and be affected in pray- 
er, and yet be but almost a christian. 

13. A man may suffer for Christ in his 
goods, in his name, in his person, and yet be 
hut almost a christian." 

Every man that bears Christ's cross on hi* 

*Psal. Ixxviii. 29. fPsal. lxxnii. 30. 3t, tHeb.xii. 17. 
I 



98 The Almost Christian. 

shoulders, dotk not therefore bear Christ's im- 
age in liis soul. 

Objection. But doth not our Lord Christ 
make great promises to them that suffer, or 
lose any thing for him? doth not he say, "Ev- 
ery one that hath forsaken houses, or breth- 

ft/ 7 

ren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, 
or children, or lands for my name's sake, shall 
receive an hundred fold, and shall inherit 
everlasting life ?"# Sure they are true chris- 
tians whom Christ makes this promise to. 

Answer. There is a suffering for Christ, 
that is a note of sincerity, and shall have its 
reward, f 

That is, when a man suffers for a good 
cause, upon a good call, and with a good con- 
science, for Christ's sake, and in Christ's 
strength ; when his sufferings are a filling* up 
•* that which is behind of the sufferings of 
Christ ?"-J when a man suffers as a christian, 
as the apostle hath it, " If a man suffers as a 
christian, let him not be ashamed ; v || when a 
man thrusts not himself into sufferings, but 
stays God's call,§ such suffering is a proof of 
integrity. 

But now every suffering for Christ is not 
suffering as a christian : For, 

1. A man may suffer for Christ, for that 
profession of religion that is upon him ; the 
world hates the shew of religion ; times may 
come, that it may cost a man as dear to wear 

f Ma|t x'x. 29. JMatt v. 10, H, 1$, ^Cd. i. 2*. 

) Pet.iv,jS. 0fark xiv. 23, 29. 



The Almost Christian. 9S 

the livery of Christ, as to wear Christ himself* 
Alexander had like to have lost his life for 
the gospel's sake, * yet he was that Alexan- 
der, as is generally judged, that afterward- 
made shipwreck of faith, and greatly oppos- 
ed Paul's ministry. f 

2. A man may suffer for Christ, and yet 
have no true love to Christ. This is suppos- 
ed : % " Though I give my body to be burn- 
ed, and have not charity, it profits nothing.** 

Love to Christ is the only noble ground of 
suffering, but a man may suffer much upon 
other ends. 

1 . Out of opinion of meriting by our suffer- 
ing, as the papists : Or, 

S. Out of vain glory, or for applause a 
inong professors ; some have died that their 
names might live .- Or, 

3. Out of a Roman resolution, or stout- 
ness of spirit. 

4. Out of a design of profit, as Judas for- 
sook all for Christ, hoping to mend his mar- 
ket by closing with him ; Or, 

?. Ilaiher to maintain an opinion, than for 
truth's propagation. Socrates died for main 
taining that there was but one God ; but 
whether lie died rather for bis own opinion, 
than for God s sake, I think it is no hard mat- 
ter to determine. Thus a man may suffer 
for professing Christ, and yet suffer upon 
wrong principles. 

•-Acte \ Tim. L IS, 20, afifcfc i-i. = < Ccv . x-li.S, 

:Lcfc. < 



100 



The Almost Christian. 



Now then, if a man may suffer for 6hrisi« 
from the profession thai is upon him. or suf- 
fer for Christ, and yet not truly love him ; 
then a man may suffer for Christ, and yet 1 
bat almost a christian. 

14. " A man may he called of God* and 
embrace this call, ami yet be but almost a 
christian." Judas is a famous instance of 
this truth ; he w as called by Christ himself, 
and came at the call of Christ, and yet Judas 
was but afinostri christian. 

Objection. But is not the being under the 
call of God. a proof of our interest in the 
predestinating love of God, ? doth not the 
apostle say, " Whom he predestinated them 
he called ?*' Nay, doth he not say in the 

it verse, u whom he called them he justi- 
fied ? *H N r ay« cloth not God c: whom 
be i iite; re ? 

'tinsicer* Thou 1 calk 

that shall be saved, vet all 
whom God call?: 

gospel is called of God in one sense or other, 
but yet every man under the gospel si all not 
therefore he saved. " For many are called, 
but few are chosen. "f 

There is a twofold call of God, internal 
and external. 

1. There is an interval call of God : now 
thilfccaliis a special work of the Spirit by 



*Rorc. tihi % $i 






I 



The Almost Christian. 101 



the ministry of the word, whereby a man is 
brought out of a state of nature, into a state 
of Grace, u out of darkness into light, from 
being vessels of wrath, to be made heirs of 
life';** 

I grant that whoever is under this call of 
God, is called effectually and savingly, call 
edtobea christian indeed. "Every man 
that hath heard and learned of the father, 
comes to me f ;'.? 

2. There is a call of God which a man may 
have, and yet not be this call : there is an ex- 
terna,! call of God, which is bv the ministry 
of the word. 

Now every man that lives under the preach- 
ing of the gospel, is thus called : God calls 
every soul of you to repent % and lay a sure 
foundation for heaven and salvation, by the 
word you hear this day. 

But now every man that is thus called, is 
not therefore a christian : For, 

1. Many under the call of God, come to 
Christ, but are not converted te Christ, have 
nothing of the grace and life of Christ : such 
as he, who when Christ sent out his servants 
to bid guests unto the marriage, came in at the 
call of Christ, but yet " had not on the wed- 
ding garment \" that is, had none of the 
grace and righteousness of Jesus Christ. 

2. Many that are under the call of the gos- 
pel come to Christ, and yet afterwards fall a- 

*Acts xxvi. iS. f John vi 45. 

i Matt. xxii. 9. §Mattxxi% ti< 

12 



jtO£ The Almost Christian. 

way from Christ : as Judas and Demas did.* r 
It is said when Christ preached a doctrine 
that his disciples did not like, that " from 
that time many of his disciples went back, and 
walked no more with him. 'f 

Nbw then if many are under the external 
call of God only, if many that come to Christ 
are not converted to Christ, but fall away 
from Christ ; then a man may be called of 
(rod, and yet be but almost & christian. 

15. " k. man may have the spirit of God, 
and yet be but almost a christian." Balaam 
had the spirit of God given him when he bles- 
sed Israel ; " Balaam saw Israel abiding in 
tents and the spirit of the Lord came upon 
him ."J — Judas had; for by the spirit he 
cast out devils, he was one of them that came 
to Christ, and said, u Lord, even the devils 
are subject to us;" Saul had, " behold a com- 
pany of prophets met him; and the spirit of 
God came upon him, and he prophesied a 
mong them \S* 

Objection. But you will say ^ can a man 
have the spirit of God, and yet not be a chris. 
tian ? * Indeed the scripture saith, " if any 
man have not the spirit of Christ, he is none 
of his % :" but surely if any man have the 
spirit of Christ, lie is his. 

Answer.. There is a having the Spirit, 
which is a sure mark of saintship. Where* 
the spirit is an effectual prevailing principle 

*£ Tim. iv. 10, j John yi. 6$. * N"umb. xxiv. 2. 

\\ Sam, x. 10. * Ron*, friii. P: 



The Almost Christian, i03> 

of grace and sanctificaiion, renewing and re 
generating the heart ; where the spirit 13 a- 
a potent worker, " helping the souPs infirmi- 
ties *;" where the spirit is so as to abide for- 
ever f" But now every man that hath the 
spirit j hath not the spirit in this manner : 
For, 

1. A man may have the spirit o^ly transient- 
ly, not abidingly ; the spirit may be in a man 
and yet not dwell in a man ; the spirit is 
wherever he dwells ; but he does not dwell 
wherever he is : lie is in all but dwells in 
saints only : the hypocrite may have the spirit 
for a season, but not to abide in him for ever. 

2. A man may have the spirit, and yet not 
be born of the spirit ; every true christian is 
born of the spirit ; an hypocrite may have the 
gifts of the spirit, but not the graces ; the spi- 
rit may be in him by the way of itturnhmtioHj 
but not byway of sanctif.ca1.ion ; by way of 
conviction, but not by way of conversion ;. 
though he may have much common grace for 
the good of others, yet lie may have no special 
grace for the good of himself : though his 
profession be spiritual, yet his state and con- 
dition may be carnal. 

3. A man may have the spirit only as a 
spirit of bondage ; Thus many have the spir- 
it working only to bondage : u tke spirit of 
bondage is an operation of the Holy Ghost by 
vhe law. convincing the conscience of sin, and 

*R©m. viii.^S, rJnlmxiT. ffo 



104 



The Almost Christian. 



of the curse of the law, and working in the 
soul such an apprehension of the wrath of God 
as makes the thoughts of God a terror to him/* 

This spirit may be, and often is without 
saving grace : this operation of the spirit was 
in Cain and Judas. 

There are none that receive the spirit of a- 
doption, but they first receive the spirit of 
bondage : yet many receive the spirit of 
bondage, that never receive the spirit of adop- 
tion. 

4. A man may have the spirit of God work- 
ing in him, and yet it may be resisted by him : 
It is said of the Jews, " they rebelled and 
vexed his holy Spirit ;" and the same sin m 
charged upon their children ; " Ye stiff neck- 
ed, and uncircumcised in heart, ye have al- 
ways resisted the Holy Ghost; as your fa- 
thers did, so do ye."* The hypocrite retains 
not the spirit ao long as to come up to regen- 
eration and adoption, but quenches the mo- 
tions of it, and thereby ^miscarries eternally. 

5. A man may have the Spirit, and yet 
sin that unpardonable sin ; He may have the 
Holy Ghost, and yet sin the sin against the 
Holy Ghost ; nay, no man can sin this sin a- 
gainst it, but he that hath some degree of it. 

The true believer hath so much of the Spi^ 
rit, such a work of it in him, that he cannot 
sin that sin : " He that is born of God sins 
not ;"f to wit, ** that sin unto death/' for that 
h meant. The carnal professing sinner, he 



♦Acta r. 51. 



fl Johav, 16 r lT, 1& 



The Mmosi Christian, 105 

cannot sin that sin, because he is carnal and 
sensual, having not the Spirit. A man must 
have some measure of the Spirit that sins this 
sin ; so hath the hypocrite ;* he is said to be 
partaker of the liolv Ghost. ? f and he only is 
capable of sinning the sin against the Holy 
Ghost. 

'Now then, if a man may have the Spirit 
transiently only, not abidingly ; if a in an may 
have the Spirit, and yet not be born of the 
Spirit ; if he may have the Spirit only as a 
Spirit of bondage : if a man may have the 
Spirit working in him, and yet it may be re- 
sisted by him ; if a man may have the Spirit, 
and yet sin that unpardonable sin against it ; 
then surely a man may have the Spirit of God, 
and yet be but almost a. christian. 

16. Ci A man may have faith, and yet be 
H a christian ; the stony -ground," 
that is, those hearers set out by the stcny- 
groicuL - for awhile believed/' is said, 

■ F i teved in (he name of Chi 

yet Chris- (jhirst not comn: 
Though they trusted in Christ, yet Chi 
would not trust them : and why ? " because 
he knew all men," verse 24. He knew they 
were rotten at root,notwithstaiidingthe;r faith : 
a man may have all faith to the removing of 
mountains, and yet be nothing. § 

Objection. But how can this he, that a man 
may have faith, and yet be but almost a chrie- 

- <0. jHeh. vi. 4. iLuke YJii. 15. 

§i Cor. xhl 



106 



The til most Christian. 



tian ? Doth not our Lord Christ promise 11 h 
eternal and salvation to all that believe ? I* 
not this the Gospel that is to be preached to 
every creature', " He that believes shall he 
saved ?'** 

Jtnswer. Though it is true whai our Lord 
Christ saith, that " lie that believes shall he 
saved ?? yet it is as true, that many believe 
that shall never be saved ; for Simon Magus 
believed ; yea* James saith, (i The devils be- 
lieve and tremble :"f Now none will say,these 
shall be saved. 

As it is true, what the Apostle saith, " All 
men have not faith ^/\ so it is as true, that 
there are some men have faith, who are no 
whit the better for their faith. 

." You must know therefore there is a two 
fold faith, 

1. Special and saving : 

2. Common and not saving. 
1. There is a saving Faith. 

This is called " Faith of the operation of 
God. ^5 It is a work of (rod's own Spirit 
in the Soul. 

It is such a faith as rests ami casts the soul 
wholly upon Christ for grace and glory, par- 
don and peace, sanctification and salvation. 

It is an united act of the whole soul, under- 
standing, will and affections, all concurring 
to unite the soul to an all-sufficient redeem- 
er. 



*Mark xvi. U 
ifT.hess. iii. 2. 



-j. Tames ii. 10. 
$CoL. ii. '0. 



The Almost Christian. lt>/ 

It is such a faith, as "purifies the heart"* 
and makes it clean ; it influences and gives 
strength and life to all other graces. 

Now whoever hath this faith, is a christian 
indeed ; this is the " Faith of God's elect.* 
But then, 

2. There is a common faith, not saving, a 
fading and temporary faith : there is the faith 
of Simon Magus, as well as the faith of Si- 
mon Peter : Simon Magus believed, and yet 
was in the " gall of bitterness, and in the bond 
of iniquity ."+ 

Now Simon Magus hath more followers 
than Simon Peter ; the faith of most men Aviil 
at last be found to be no better than the faith 
of Simon Magus : For, 

First, The faith of most is but a temporary 
faith, it dures for a while, and then dies and 
. perisheth ; true and saving faith, sucli as is 
the faith of God's elect cannot die* it may fail 
in the act, but not in the habit; the sap may 
not be in the branch, but it is always in the 
root. 

That faith that perisheth, that faith a man 
may have and perish. 

Secondly, There is a faith that lies only in 
generals, not in particulars ; as there is a gen- 
eral and particular object of faith, so there i« 
a general and particular faith. The general 
object of faith is the whole scripture : the 
particular object of faith is Christ in thr 
promise. 

*Acis xv. 0. |Tit. i. ■■ ,- 

-Acts viii. 13. compared with ver. ~3. 



108 



The Almost Christian. 



Now many have a general faith to believe 
all the scripture, and yet have no faith to 
make a particular application of Jesus Christ 
in the promise. 

Devils and reprobates may believe the truth 
of the scripture, and wliat is written of the dy- 
ing and suffering of Christ for sinners 5 but 
there are but few that can close up themselves 
in the wounds of Christ, and by his stripes 
fetch in healing; to their own souls. 

Thirdly, There is a faith that is seated in 
the understanding, but not in the will ; this 
Is a very common faith : many assent to the 
truth. 

They believe all* the attributes of God/ that 
lie is just, holy, wise, faithful, good, merciful, 
&c. But yet they rest not on him notwith- 
standing. 

They believe the commands are true, but 
yet do not obey them : they believe the prom- 
ises are true, but jet do not embrace and ap- 
ply them ; they believe the threatnings are 
true, but yet do not flee from them. 
,1 Thus their faith lies in assent, but not con- 
sent ; they have faith to confess a judgment, 
but none to take out execution : by assent 
they lay a foundation, but never build upon 
it by application. 

; They believe that Christ died to save them 
that believe, and yet they believe not in Christ 
that they may be saved. 

O my brethren, it is not a believing head- 
but a believing heart that makes a christian : 



Tlie Mmost Christian ; 109 

i* with the heart man believes to righteous- 
ness f 9 f without this our " faith is vain, we 
are yet in our sins."f 

Fourthly, There is a faith without experi- 
ence : many believe the word upon hearsay, 
to be the word of God, but they never felt the 
power and virtue of it upon their hearts and 
consciences. Now what good is it to believe 
the truth of the word, if a man's conscience 
never felt the power of the word ? what is it 
fco believe the truth of the promise, if we never 
tasted the sweetness of the promise ? 

We are in tins case like a man that be- 
lieves the description others make of strange 
countries, but never travelled them to know 
the truth : or as a patient that believes all the 
physician says, but yet tries none of his po- 
tions. We believe the word, because we 
cannot gainsay it; but yet we have no expe- 
rience of any saving good wrought by the 
word, and so are but almost christians. 

Fifthly, There, is a faith that is without 
brokenness of heart, that does not avail to 
melt or soften the heart, and therefore is not 
true faith ; for the least true faith is ever 
joined with a bending will, and a broken 
heart. 

Sixthly, There is a faith that transforms 
not the heart ; faith without fruit, that doth 
not bring forth the new creature in the soul, 
but leaves it in a state of sin and death. 

This is a faith that makes a man a soutuL 

♦Roto, k, 10, 41 Cor. I £ IT ', 

K 



■ 



4 1 2 7*e Almost Christian . 



professor, but not a sound believer ; he be- 
lieves tke truth, but not as it is in Jesus ; for 
then it would change and transform him into 
" the likeness of Jesus. "* He believes that 
a man must be changed that would be saved^ 
but yet is not savingly changed hy believing. 
Thus while others believe to -salvation., he be- 
lieves to damnation ; for " his web shall not 
become a garment, neither shall he cover him- 
self with his work."| 

Now then, if a man's faith may be but tem- 
porary, or may lie only in generals, or may 
be seated in the understanding only, or may 
be without experience, or may be without a 
broken heart, or without a new heart ; surely 
then a man may have faith, he may " taste of 
this heavenly gift/ ; % and yet be but almost a 
christian. 

17. " A man may go further yet : he may 
possibly have a love to the people of God, and 
yet be but almost a christian." Jivery kind 
of love to those who are saints is not a proof 
of our saintship : Pharaoh loved Joseph, and 
advanced him to the second place in the king- 
dom, and yet Pharaoh was but a wicked man : 
Ahab loved Jehosha.phat, and made a league 
with him, and married his daughter Athaliah 
to Jehoram, Jehoshaphat's son, and yet Ahab 
was a wicked wretch. 

But you will say this seems to contradict 
the testimony pT the -scriptures ; for that makes 
love to the saints and people of God^ a ■sure 



The Almost Christian. Ill 

proof of our regeneration, and interest in life 
eternal } " We know that we have passed 
from death to life because we love the breth- 
ren."* Nay, the Spirit of (rod putteth this 
as a charaeteristical distinction between saints 
and sinners, " In this the children of God are 
manifest, and the children of the devil ; who- 
soever doth not righteousness, is not of God, 
neither he thatloveth not his brother."! By 
brethren we do not understand brethren by 
place, those who are of the same country or 
nation, such as are called brethren in Rom. 
ix. 3. Acts vii. 33, 25. Nor do we under- 
stand brethren by race, those who have de- 
scended of the same parents, such are called 
brethren in James i. 2. But by brethren we 
understand brethren by grace, t and super- 
natural regeneration, such as are the children 
of God ; and these are the brethren whom 
to love is a sure sign that we are the children 
of God, 

Answer. To this I answer, that there is a 
love to the children of God, which is a proof 
of our being the children of God. 

As for instance, when we love them as such, 
for that very reason, as being the saints of 
God, when we love them for the image of 
God, which appeareth in them, because cf 
that grace and holiness which shineth forth 
in their conversations : this is truly commend- 
able, to love the godly for godliness sake, the 
saints forsaintship sake, this is a sure teslimd- 

*i John iii. 14. fl John iii. 10. jPhil.i. 6, 



118 The Almost Qfonstian. 

ny of our Christianity. The love of grace iu 
another, is a good proof of the life of grace 
in ourselves : There can be no better evidence 
of the spirit of Christ in us, than to love the 
image of Christ in others. For this is a cer- 
tain truth, that a sinner cannot love a saint as 
such ; " an Israelite is an abomination to an 
.Egyptian."* 

There is a contrariety and natural enmity 
between the two seeds ; between the children 
of the world, and those whom the father in 
his eternal love hath " chosen out of the 
world.^f 

It is likeness which is the great ground of 
love ; now there is the highest dissimilitude 
and unlikeness between an unregenerate sin- 
ner, and a child of (rod, and therefore a child 
of God cannot love a sinner as a sinner ; "in 
•whose eyes a vile person is coiiteiniied/ '± He 
may love him as a creature ; He may love 
his soul, or he may lore him under some 
relation that he stands in to him. Thus 
God loves the damned spirits, as tSiey are his 
creatures, but as fallen angels he haleth them 
with an infinite hatred. So to love a sinner 
guatenus a sinner, this a child of God cannot 
do ; so neither can a sinner love a child of 
God as a child of God. That he may love a 
shild of God, that I grant, but it is upon some 
other consideration ; he may love a person 
that is holy, not the person for his holiness, 
but for some other respect. As, 

i. A man may love a child of God for hu 

*Gea. |iS. 15. f Jofm x*. 19. Fsal. xr 



The Almost Christian. 118 

Wving, peaceable, courteous deportment to all 
with whopi lie converseth. Religion beauti- 
fies the conversation of a man, and sets him 
off to the eye of the world. The grace of 
God is no friend to morose, churlish, unman- 
nerly behaviour among men : it provokes an 
affable demeanour and sweetness to all : and 
where this is found, it winnetli respect and 
love from all. 

2. A man may love a saint for his outward 
greatness and splendor in the world : men are 
very apt to honor worldly greatness, and 
therefore the " rich saint shall be loved and 
honored, whilst the poor saint is hated and 
despised. '** This is as if a man should 
value the goodness of his sword by the embroi- 
dery of his bel : or his horse for the beauty 
of his trapping , rather than for his strength 
and swiftness. 

True love to the children of God, reaches 
to all the children of God, poor as well as 
rich, bond as well as free, ignoble as well 
as noble, for the image of Christ is alike a- 
^liable and lovely in all. 

3. A man may love a child of God for 
his fidelity and usefulness in his place : where 
religion in the power of it taketh hold of a 
man's heart, it makes him true to all his lie- 
trustments, diligent in his business, faithful 
in alibis relations ; and this obligeth respect. 
A carnal master may prize a godly appren - 

or serrant that makes conscience of pleas - 

* James ii. 2, 3. 



% 

114 The Almost Christian. 

ing his master ; and is diligent in promoting 
his interest. 

I might instance in many things of the like 
nature, as charity, beauty, wit, learning, parts 
&c. which may procure love to the people of 
God from the men of the world. But this 
love is no proof of charity : For, 

First, It is but a natural love arising from 
some carnal respect, or self end : that love 
which is made by the scripture an evidence 
of our regeneration,, " is a spiritual love,*** 
% the principal loadstone and attractive where- 
of is grace and holiness ; it is a love which 
embraceth " a righteous man in the name of a 
righteous man,"t 

S. A carnal man's love to saints, is a limi- 
ted and bounded love ; it is not universal " to 
the seed."J Now as in sin, he that doth 
not make conscience of every sin, maketh 
conscience of no sin as sin ; so he who doth 
not love all in whom the image of Christ is 
found, loveth none for that of the image of 
Christ which is found in them. 

Now then, if the love we bear to the peo- 
ple of God may possibly arise from natural 
love only, or from some carnal respect ; or if 
it be a limited love, not extending to all the 
people of God, then it is possible that a man 
may love the people of God, and yet be no 
better than almost a christian. 

18. " A man may obey the commands of 
God, yea many of the commands ofGod, 

•Col. i. 8. fMatt. xi 41. *E»iher x. 3. 



The Almost Christian, lid 

and yet be but almost a christian.*' Balaam 
seems very conscientious of steeringhis course 
by the compass of God's command : When 
Balak sent to him to. come and curse the peo- 
ple of God, saith Balaam " If Balak would 
give me his house full of silver and gold, I 
cannot go beyond the word of the Lord my 
God:* and so in the 38th verse saith he, " The 
word that God putteth in my mouth, that 
shall I speak f ? . The young man went far in 
obedience, " All these have I observed*from 
my youth up. "i And yet be was but an 
hypocrite, for he forsook Christ after all. 

Objection. But is it not said, " He that hath 
my commandments, and keepeth them, he it 
is that loveth me ; and he that krvethmc shall 
be loved of my father ; and I will love him 
and manifest myself unto him."j| And doth 
not our Lord Christ tell us expressly, " ye 
are my friends if ye do whatever I command 
you.°$ And can a man be a friend of Christ, 
and be bat almost a christian ? 

I answer : that there is an obedience to the 
commands of Christ, which is a sure proof of 
our Christianity and friendship to Christ. 

This obedience hath a threefold property. 

It is, 1. Evangelical, 3. Universal. 3. con- 
tiixial. 

First, It is evangelical obedience, and that 
both iu matter and manner, ground and end. 

In the matter of it ; and that is what Greet' 

* Numb. xxii. 18, f Numb, xxiii. 2>, ^0, 26. 

t Mark x. 20. || Jofc^xi?, 12, fJchn xxy. 14. 



118 The Almost Christian. 

requires ; " Ye are my friends, if ye do wluu 
-ever I command you #'*. 

In the manner of it ; and that is according 
as God requires : " God is a spirit, and they 
that worship him must worship him in spirit 
and in truth. "f 

In the ground of it ; and that is a 6i pufre 
heart, a gsod conscience, and faith -unfeign- 
ed %» 

In the end of it ; and that is the honor and 
glory of God ; " Whatever ye do, do all to 
the glory of God ;"§ 

Secondly, it is an universal obedience, 
which extendeth itself to all the commands of 
God alike : it respects the duties of both ta- 
bles : such was the obedience of Caleb, 
4 ' who followed the Lord fully jj v , and of Da- 
vid, who had " respect to all his commands". Tf 

Thirdly, It is a continual obedience, a 
putting the hand to God's plow, without 
looking back,. ".I have inclined my heart to 
perform thy statutes alway, even to the end.. 5 '^ 

He that thus obeys the command of God, 
is a christian indeed, a friend of Christ in- 
deed, but all obedience to the commands of 
God, is not this obedience. For, 

1. There is a partial obedience, a piece- 
meal religion, when a man obeys God in one 
command, and not in another ; owns him in 
one dutv and not in another : when -a man 
seems to make conscience of the duties of one 

* John xv. 14. f Tim. i. 5. $ John iv. 24. 

\ Cor, k, 51. llNum.xiv, 24 f Psal. cxix. 6* *Psai, cattx.it2 



The lihnost Ch ristian , 10 

table^ and not the duties of another. This is 
the religion of most. 

Now this obedience is no obedience ; for as 
he that doth not love God above all. doth not 
love God at all : so he that doth not obey all 
the commands universally, cannot be said to 
obey any command truly. It is said of those 
in Samaria, that they " feared the Lord, and 
served their own gods after their own man- 
ner."* And yet in the very next verse it is 
said, « They feared not the Lord : v so that 
their fear of the Lord was no fear : in like 
manner that obedience to God is no obedi- 
ence, which is but a partial and piece-meal 
obedience. 

2. A man may obey much, and yet be in 
his old nature, and if so, then all his obedience 
in that estate is but a painted sin : "He that 
offereth an oblation, is as if he offered swine's 
blood : and he thai burnetii incense as if he 
blessed an idol/*+ The nature must be re- 
newed, before the command can be rightly 
obeyed, for *• a corrupt tree cannot bring forth 
goo;l fruit. e '± WhateVei is performan- 

ces i re, they cannot be called obedience, whilst 
the heart reinainethunregenerate because the 
principle is false and unsound. Every duty 
done by a believer, is accepted of God as a 
part of his obedience to the will of God, 
though it be done in much weakness :|| be- 
50 though the believers hand is weak, yet 

Kir«2£ xvil, 23, flsa. ^ xv '- S- 

Malt ^}i 18. ph vy 6. 



i 18 The Almost Christian. 

his " heart is right;"* the hypocrite niar 
have the most active hand, but the believer 
hath the most faithful and sincere heart. 

3. A man may obey the law, and yet have 
no love to the lawgiver : A carnal heart may 
do the command of God, but lie cannot love 
God, and therefore cannot do it aright : for 
love to God is the foundation and spring of 
all true obedience : every command of God 
is to be done in love : this is the " fulfilling 
of the law."f The apostle saith, " Though 
I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and 
though I give my body to be burned, (these 
seem to be acts of the highest obedience) yet 
if I have not love, it profits me nothing/'J 

<L I might add, that a man may be much in 
obedience from sinister and base selfish ends ; 
as the Pharisees prayed much, gave much 
alms, fasted much ; but our Lord Christ tells 
us, that it was " That they might be seen of 
men, and have glory of inen."|| Most of the 
hypocrite's piety empties itself into vainglory ; 
and therefore he is but an empty vine in all 
he does, because " he bringeth forth fruit to 
himself, "o 
It is the end that justifies the action : indeed a 
s:ood end cannot make a bad action good, but 
yet the want of a good end, makes a good 
action bad. 

Now then, if a man may obey the com- 
mands of God partially, and by halves; if 
he may do it, and yet be in his natural state; 

*R«Pta, xiVT. f Ivom.xii, 10. fl Cor. xiii. S. 

if Matt. Vi. 2, 5, 16. §Uosea ? 1 



The Mmosi Christian. 119 

If he may obey the commands of God, and 
yet not love God/: if the ends of his obedi- 
ence may be sinful and unwarrantable ; then 
a man may be much in obeying the com- 
mands of God, and yet be but almost a Chris- 
tian,, 

19- 'i A man may be sanctified, and yet 
be but almost a christian," Every kind of 
sanctificaiion doth not make a man a new 
creature : for many are sanctified that are ne- 
ver renewed* You read of them that " count 
the blood of the covenant wherewith they 
were sanctified an unholy thing*, 5 

Objection. But doth not the scripture tell 
&«, " That both he that sanetifieth, and they 
who are sanctified, are all one ; for which 
cause he is not ashamed to call them breth- 
renf •" And can a man be one with Christ, 
and yet be but almost a christian ? 

Answer. To this I answer : you must 
know there is a twofold work of sanctitica- 
tion spoken of in the scripture. 

The one common and ineffectual. 

The other special and effectual. 

That work of sanctificaiion % whioh is 
true and effectual, is a working of the spirit 
of God in the soul, enabling it to the mortify- 
ing of all sin, to the obeying of every com- 
mand, " to walking with God in all well- 
pleasing."§ 

Now whoever is thus sanctified, is one 

* Heb.x. 29 \ Heb.ii. 11. 

i &om. Yin. 12. J 1 Pet. i. 2. H«fe* ^ 



iao The. Mmost Christian. 

with him that sanetifieth. Christ will not be 
ashamed to cjall such brethren, for they are 
'•' flesh of his fleshy and hone of his bone."* 

But then there is a more common work 
of saneiifieation, which is ineffectual as to 
to the two great works of dying to sin, and liv- 
ing to God. This kind of sanctification may 
help to restrain sin, hut not to mortify sin ;f 
it may lop offihe boughs, but it layeth not the 
axe to the root of the tree ; it sweeps and gar- 
nishes the room J. with common virtues, but 
doth not adorn it with saving graces ; so that 
a man is but almost a christian, notwitstancL 
ing this sanctification. 

Or thus, there is an inward and outward 
sanctification. 

Inward sanctification is that which deals 
with the soul and its faculties, understand- 
ing, conscience, will, memory and affections. 
Outward sanctification that which deals 
with the life and conversation ; both these 
must concur to make a man a christian in- 
deed-; therefore the apostle puts them togeth- 
er in his prayer for the Thessalonians. "The 
God of peace sanctify you wholly ; and, I 
pray God your whole spirit, and soul, and 
body, be preserved blameless, unto the com- 
ing of our Lord Jesu^ Christ. "|| A man is 
then sanctified wholly, when he is sanctified 
both inwardly and outwardly, both in heart 
and affections, and in life and conversation 
Outward sanctification is not enough without 

*Eph.*v. 30. fRom. vi. It. iMatt.xii. 44. |jl Thes. 7.23. 



The Almost Christian. 121 

inward, nor inward without outward ; we 
must have both " clean hands, and a pure 
heart."* The heart must be pare, that we 
may not incur blame from within ; and the 
hands must be clean, that we may not incur 
our shame from "without ; we must have 
hearts " sprinkled from an evil conscience, 
and bodies washed with pure waterf- We 
must cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of 
tiesh and spirit^:.- Inward purity is the most 
excellent, but without the outward it is not 
sufficient; the true christian is made up of 
both. 

Now many have clean hands, but unclean 
hearts : they wash the outside of the cup and 
platter, when all is filthy within ; now the 
former without the latter profiteth a man no 
more than it profited Pilate, who condemned 
Christ, to wash his hands in the presence of 
the people ; he washed his hands of the blood 
of Christ, and yet had a hand in the death 
of Christ. The Egyptian temples were beau- 
tiful on the outside, but within you should 
find nothing but some serpent or crocodile. 
He is not a Jew, which is one outwardly. "\\ 
Judas was a saint without, but a sinner with- 
in : openly a disciple, but secretly a devil.) 

Some pretend to inward sanctity without 
outward : this is the pretence of the open sin- 
ner : u Though I sometimes drop an idle 
foolish word, saith he, or though I sometimes 

iPsaf. iv. 4. fHeb. x. 22. = 2 Cor. vii. 1. 

|;Rom. ii. 28. OJohn yi. 70. 



13S The Almost Christian. 

swear an oath, yet 1 think no hurt : I thank 
(rod, my heart is as good as the best ; such 
are like the sinner Moses mentions, that 
a blessed himself in his heart, saying I shall 
have peace, though I walk in the imagination 
of mine own heart, to add drunkenness to 
thirsts 

Some pretend to outward sanctity, without 
inward ; such are like the Scribes and Pha- 
risees, who " outwardly appear righteous 
unto men, but within are full of hypocrisy and 
iniquity § ; v fair professors, but foul sinners* 

Inward sanctity without outward, is impos- 
sible, for it will reform the life ; outward 
sanctity without inward, is unprofitable, for it 
will not reform the heart ; a man is not a true 
christian without both ; the body doth not 
make a man without the soul, nor the soul 
without the body ; both are essential to the 
being of a man ; so the sanctification of both, 
are essential to the being of the new man- 
True sanctification begins at the heart, but 
works out into the life and conversation ; and 
if so, then a man may attain to an outward 
sanctification, and yet for want of the inward, 
be no better than almost a christian. 

SO. And so I shall end this long pursuit of 
the almost christian in his progress heaven- 
ward, with this one general conclusion. 

" A man may do all, as to external duties 
and worship, that a true christian can, and 
when he hath done all, be but almost a chris- 



The Almost Christian. 128 

You must know all the commands of 
God have, a» intra and an extra : there is as 
I may say, the body and the soul of the com- 
mand. 

And accordingly there is an internal and an 
external worship of God. 

Now the internal acts of worshipping of 
God, are to love God, to fear God, to delight 
in God, to trust in God, &c. 

The external acts of worshipping of God, 
are by praying, teaching, hearing, &c. 

Now there is a vast difference between 
these internal and external acts of worship ; 
and such a difference there is, that they dis- 
tinguish the altogether from the almost chris- 
tian ; the sincere believer from the unsound 
professor ; and indeed in this very thing the 
main difference between them doth lie. 

1. Internal acts of worship are good, prop- 
ter fieri : the goodness doth adhere intrinsic- 
ally to the thing done : a man cannot love 
God, nor fear God, but it will be imputed to 
him for a gracious act, and a great part of his 
holiness. 

But now external acts of worship, are not 
denominated good so much from the matter 
done, propter fieri, as from the manner of do- 
ing them ; a man cannot sin in loving and 
delighting in God, but he may sin in praying 
and hearing, &c. for want of a due manner. 

2. Internal acts of worship put a goodness 
into external ; it is our faith, our love, gui* 
fear of God, that makes our duties good. 



124 



The Almost Christian. 



3. They better the heart, and greaten the 
degrees of a man's holiness ; external duties 
do not always do this ; a man may pray, and 
yet his heart never the holier ; he may hear 
the word, and yet his heart never the softer : 
but now the more a man fears God the wiser 
he is ;* the more a man loves God, the holi- 
er he is : Love is the perfection of holiness : 
we shall never be perfect in holiness until we 
come to be perfect in love. 

4. There is such- an excellency in this in- 
ternal worship, that he who mixes it with his 
external duties, is a true christian when he 
doth least : But without this mixture, he is 
but almost a christian that doth most. 

Internal acts of worship, joined with out- 
ward, sanctify them, and make them accepted 
of God, though few : external acts of wor- 
ship, without inward, make them abhorred 
of God, though they be never so many. 

So that al b tile almost christian inav 

do all those duties in ! 
christian doth in sincerity : &av, 
doing c: I duties, IV:: 

christian, as the comet r 
than the true ziav j if 

Baal's priests will cut tbcir flesh t can- 

not do those internal dalles that the meaij 
true christian can. 

The almost christian can pray, but lie ean-r 
not love God ; he can teach or hear. 



ne ca 



e delight in God. 



The Almost Christian. 125 

Mark Job's query concerning the hypo- 
crite : " Will he delight himself in the Al- 
mighty ??** 

He will pray to the Almighty,, but will he 
delight himself in the Almighty ? will he 
take pleasure in God ? 

Ah no ! he will not, he cannot. 

""Delight in God, ariseth from a suitable- 
ness between the faculty and the object ; now 
none more unsuitable than God and a carnal 
heart. 

Delight ariseth from the having what we 
desire, and from enjoying what we have : 
How then can he delight in God, that neither 
enjoyeth, nor hath, nor truly desireth God ? 

Delight in God is one of the highest exer- 
cises of grace ; and therefore how can he de- 
light in God, that hath no grace? 

Why then should any saint of God be dis- 
couraged, when he hears how far the almost 
christian may go in the way to heaven, where- 
as he that is the weakest true believer, that 
hath the least true grace, goes farther than 
he, for he believes in, and loves God. 

Should the almost christian do less, as to 
matter of external duties, yet if he had but the 
least true faith, the least sincerity of love to 
Christ, he would surely be saved : and should 
the true christian do ten times more duties 
than he doth, yet had he not faith in Christ, 
and love to Christ, he would surely be re- 
jected, 

*J0b xxvii. 10. 

L 8 



136 



The Almost Christian. 



O therefore let not any weak believer be 
discouraged, though hypocrites may out- do 
them, and go beyond them in duty ; for all 
their duties are done in hypocrisy ; but your 
faith and love io God in duties, is a proof of 
your sincerity, 

1. I do not speak this to discourage any 
soul in the doing of duties, or to beat down 
outward performances, but to rectify the soul 
in the doing of them. 

As the apostle saith, u Covet earnestly the 
best gifts ; but yet I shew you a more excel- 
lent way."* So I say, covet the best gifts. 
covet much to be in duties, much in prayer, 
much in hearing, &c. " But yet I shew you 
a more excellent way," and that is, the way 
of faith and love ; pray much, but then be- 
lieve much too. Hear much, read much, but 
then love God much too. Delight in the word 
and ordinances of God much, but then delight 
in the God of ordinances more. 

And when you are most in duties, as to 
your use of them ; O then be sure to be above 
duties as to your resting and dependance up- 
on them. Would you be christians indeed, 
altogether christians ? O then be much in the 
use and exercise of ordinances, but be much 
more in faith and dependence upon Christ 
and his righteousness ; when your obedience 
is most to the command, then let your faith 
be most upon the promise. 



•iCor. xii.32-. 



The Mmosi Christian. 12J 

The professor rests In his duties, and so 
is but almost a christian ; but you must be 
sure to rest upon the Lord Christ : this is the 
way to be altogether christians ; for, if ye be- 
lieve, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs 
according to the promise. 

And thus I have answered the first query s 
to wit, how far a man may groin the wav to 
heaven, and yet be but almost a christian, 

i. He may have much knowledge. 

S. He may have great gifts. 

3. He may have a high profession. 

4. He mav do much against sin. 

5. He may desire grace. 

(5. He mav tremble at the word. 
7- He may delight in the word. 

8. He may be a member of the church of 
Christ. 

9. He may have great hopes of heaven. 

10. He may be under great and visibly 
changes. 

11. He maybe very zealous in the matters 
of religion. 

12. He may be much in prayer. 

13. He may suffer for Christ. 

14. He mav be called of God. 

15. He may in some sense have the spirit 
of God. 

16. He may have some kind of faiilr. 

17. He may love the people of God. 

18. He may go far in obeying the com^ 
mands of God, 



IBS 



The Almost Christian. 



a 



19. He may be in some sense sanctified. 

SO. He may do all, as to external duties, 
that a true christian can, and yet be no better 
than almost a christian. 

The second Question. 
by, or whence is it, that many men 
go so far, as that they come to be almost 
christians ?" 

^First, " It may be to answer the call of 
conscience :" though few men have grace, 
yet all men have conscience. 

Now do but observe, and you shall see 
how far conscience may go in this work. 

1. "Conscience owns a God, and that this 
God must be worshipped and served by the 
creature. * Atheists in practice we have ma- 
ny, such as the apostle speaks of. u They 
profess they know God, but in works they 
deny him %'J 

But Atheists in judgment none can be ; 
Tully, a heathen, could 
tarn barhara, &fc. 
Now there being such a light in conscience 
as to discover that there is a God, and that 
he must be worshipped by the help of farther 
light, the light of the word ; a man may be 
enabled to do much in the ways of God, and 
yet his heart without a dram of grace. 

2. Know this, that " natural conscience is 
capabletof great improvements from the means 
©f grace j" sitting under the ordinances, may 



say, Nulla gens 



•Tit. i, 16, 



The Almost Christian. ;1|9 

exceedingly heighten the endowments of con- 
science, though they do not sanctify con- 
science ; it may he much regulated, though i| 
he not all renewed : it may he enlightened, 
convinced, and yet never savingly converted 
and changed. 

You read in Hebrews vi. 4. of some -that 
were" once enlightened, and tasted of the 
heavenly gift, and were made partakers of 
the Holy Ghost. " What work shall we call 
this ? It could not he a saving work, a true 
change and conversion of state : for notwith- 
standing this enlightening, and tasting, and 
partaking, yet they are here said to fall a- 
way, verse 6. 

Had it been a true work of grace, they 
could never have fallen awav from that : a 
believer may fall, but he cannot fall away : he 
may fail foully, but he cannot fall finally : for 
"underneath are the everlasting arms. ?; * His 
faith is established in the strength of that pray- 
f Christ, that our faith fail not : + naf, he 
us expressly, that it is eternal Uf^ which 
giy % esj from which we shall never pe 
his work then here spoken of, cannot bes 
saving work, because it is not an : 
k; for they that are under it, are said to 
fall away from it : but though it be not a sa- 
ying work, yet it is a supernatural work; it 
is an improvement made by the word upon 
consciences of men, through the power of 






ISO The Almost Christian. 

the spirit : and therefore tliey are said to 
" taste the good word of God," and to be 
made "partakers of the Holy Ghost." They 
have not the spirit abiding in them savingly, 
but striving with them, and working upon 
them convincingly, to the awakening and set- 
ting conscience on work. And conscience 
thus stirred, may carry a man very far in re- 
ligion, and in the duties of the gospel, and 
yet be but a natural conscience. 

A common work of the spirit, may stead a 
man very much in the duties of religion, 
though it must be a special work of the Spirit 
that steads a man to salvation ; a man may 
have the assisting presence of the Spirit, en- 
abling him to preach and pray, and yet he 
may perish for want of the renewing pres- 
ence of the spirit, enabling him to believe. 
Judas had the former, and yet perished for 
want of the latter : he had the spirit assisting 
him to cast out devils* but yet he had not the 
Spirit renewing him, for he w r as cast out him- 
self. Thus a man may have an improved 
conscience and yet be a stranger to a renew- 
ed conscience ; and conscience thus improved 
may put a man very much upon duty. 

I pray God none of us mistake a conscience 
thus improved by the word, for a conscience 
renewed by the spirit : the mistake is very 
easy, especially when a life of duties is the 
fruit of it. 

3. " The conscience of a natural man is 
subject to distress and trouble," Though a, 



The Almost Christian. 131 

aatural conscience is not sanctified with grace^ 
yet it is often troubled at sin : trouble of con- 
science is not incident to believers only, but 
sometimes to unbelievers also. A believer's 
conscience is sometimes troubled, when his 
sin is truly pardoned : and a natural man ? s 
conscience is troubled for sin, though it is 
never need from sin. God sometimes sets 
the word home upon t lie sinner's conscience, 
and applies the terrors of the law to it ; and 
this fills the soul with fear and horror of 
death and hell ; now in this case, the soul usu- 
ally betakes itself to a life of duties ; mere- 
ly to fence trouble out of conscience. 

When Absalom sets on fire Joab's corn- 
fields *, then he runs to him, though lie refu- 
sed before ; so when God lets a spark of hell, 
as it were, fall upon the sinner's conscience 
in applying the terrors of the word ; this 
drives the sinner to a life of duties, which he 
never minded before. The around ofmanv 
a hum's engaging itf religion, is the trouble of 
his conscience ; and the end of his continuing 
in religion, is the quieting of conscience ; if 
conscience would never check him, God 
should never hear from him. 
Natural conscience hath a voice, and speaks 
aloud many times in the sinner's ears, and 
telleth him, This ought not to be done : God 
must not be forgotten : the commands of God 
ought not to be slighted : living in sin w T ill 
be the ruin of the soul. And hence it is that 



13J8 The Almost Christian. 

a natural man runs to duties, and takes up a 
lifeless and graceless profession, that he may 
thereby silence conscience. As a man sick 
in his stomach, whatever sweet morsel he hath 
eaten, he brings up all ; and although it 
sweet in the eating, yet it is bitter in the ris- 
ing ; so it fareih with the sinner when he is 
sermon sick, or conscience sick ; though his 
sin was sweet in the practice, yet the thought 
of it riseth bitter upon the conscience : and 
then his profession of religion is the pill he 
'rolleth about in his mouth, to take awav the 
bitterness of sin's taste. 

4. "'Natural ^conscience enlightened by 
the word may discover to a man much of the 
misery of a natural state ;" though not effec- 
tually to bring him out of it, yet so as to make 
him restless and weary in it : It may show a 
sinner his nakedness ; and hereupon the soul 
runneth to a life of duties ; thinking hereby to 
stead the miseries of his case, and to make a 
covering for his nakedness. It is said, that 
when Adam and Eve saw they were naked, 
they f* sewed fig leaves together, and made 
themselves a covering * : ' J So when once the 
sinner seeth his nakedness and vileness by 
reason of sin ; whereas he should run to Christ 
and close with him, and beg his righteous- 
ness for a covering, " that the shame of his 
nakedness doth not appear." \ He rather 
runneth to a life of duties and performances, 
and thus maketh himself a covering with the 

*Gen. iii. 7. f Rev. iii. 18. 



The Mlmost Christian, 183 

fig-leaves of a profession, without Christ tru- 
ly embraced, and conscience at all renewed. 
Natural man would fain be his own Saviour ; 
and supposeth a change of state to be a thing 
within his own power : and that the true work 
of grace lieth in leaving off the practice of sin 
and taking up a life of duties ; and therefore 
upon this principle doth many a graceful pro- 
fessor outstrip a sound believer ; for he resist- 
eth in his own "performances, and hopeth 
these will commend him to God. 

Question.. " If a natural conscience may 
go thus far, then what difference is there be- 
tween this natural conscience in hypocrites 
and sinners, and a renewed conscience in be- 
lievers? or, how may I know whether iho, 
working of piy conscience be the working of 
nature only, or else of grace wrought in it ?" 

Answer. I grant that it is difficult to dis- 
tinguish between the one and the other ; and 
the difficulty hatha two fold rise. 

1. It ariseth from that hypocrisy that is in 
the best saints; the weakest believer is no 
hypocrite, but yet there is some hypocrisy in 
the strongest believer : where there is most 
grace there is some sin, and where there is 
most sincerity, yet there is some hypocrisy. 

Now it is very incident to a tender con- 
science to misgive and mistrust its state, up- 
on the sight of any sin: when he sees hy- 
pocrisy break out in any duty or performance, 
then he complains, "surely my aims are not 



134 The Almost Christian. 

sincere ; my conscience is not renewed ; it is 
bat natural conscience enlightened, not by 
grace purged and changed."* 

S. It ariseth from that resemblance there is 
between grace and hypocrisy ; for hypocrisy 
is a resemblance of grace, without substance ; 
likeness of grace without the life of grace. 
".There is no grace but a hypocrite may have 
somewhat like it : and there is no duty done 
by a christian, but an hypocrite may outstrip 
him in it. Now when one that hath not true 
grace shall go farther than one that hath, this 
may well make the believer question whether 
Ms grace be true or not ; or whether the 
^workings of his conscience be not the work- 
ings of nature only, rather than of grace 
wrought in it. 

But to answer the question : You may make 
a judgment of this in these seven particu- 
lars. 

i. " If a natural man's conscience putteth 
Ilim upon duty, he doth usually bound him- 
self in the work of God ;" his duties are 
limited, his obedience is a limited obedience : 
he doeth one duty and neglecteth another ; 
he picketh and ehooseth among the com- 
mands of God ; obeveth one and slisrheth a- 
nother. Thus much is enough, what need 
any more ? If I do thus, and thus, I shall go 
to heaven at last. 

But now where conscience is renewed by 

* Pygmalion made an image so lively that he deceived himself 
and taking the picture for a person, fee fell in love with the pic 
&ire . 



^he Almost Christian. 



jitie %Tiinosi unrisnan. i$d 



grace, there it is otherwise; though there 
may be many weaknesses which accompany 
its duties* yet that soul never bounds itself 
in working after God ; it never loves God so 
much, but still it would love him more ; nor 
: ttoeks him so mu'Sli but still it would seek him 
more : Nor doth it -serve God so well at any 
time, "but it still makes conscience of serving 
him better. •'• 'A renewed conscience is a 
spring of universal obedience * :" for it seeth 
an infinite excellency, and goodness, and ho- 
liness in God ; and therefore would fain have 
its vice rise up toward some proportionable- 
ness to the object. A God of infinite excel- 
lency and goodness, should have infinite 
love, saith conscience : a holy God should 
have service from a holy heart, saith con- 
science. 

Now then, if I set bounds to my love to 
God, or to my service to God ; if I limit my- 
self in my obedience to the holy God; love 
one command and slight another : obey in 
one point and yet lie cross in another : then is 
all I do but the working of a natural con- 
science. But on the other hand, if I love the 
Lord with my whole heart, and whole souk, 
and serve him with all my might and strength ; 
if "I esteem all God's precepts concerning 
all things to be right, and have respect to 

commands f;" then is my love and ser- 
vice from a renewed conscience. 

2. u If £ natural man's conscience check 

* Fsal. cxix,lC8, 4 Matt, xxli- 



136 The Almost Christian. 

or accuse for sin, then he seeketh to stop the 
mouth of it, but not to satisfy it :*? Most of 
the natural man's duties are to still and stifle 
conscience. 

But now the believer chroseth rather to 
let conscience cry, than to slop the mouth £$g 
it, until he can do it upon good terms, and 
till he can fetch in satisfaction to it from the 
blood of Jesus Christ, by fresh acts of faith 
apprehended and applied. 

The natural man seeketh to still the noise 
of conscience, rather than to remove the guilt : 
the believer seeketh the removal of guilt by 
the application of Christ's blood : and then 
conscience is quiet of itself. As a foolish 
man, having a mote fallen into his eye, and 
making it water, he wipeth away the water, 
and labours to keep it dry, but never search- 
eth his eye to get out the mote : but a wise 
man mindeth not so much the wiping, as the 
searching his eve : somewhat is sot in, and 
that eaugeththe watering, and 11: 
cau?2 must be removed. 

Nc :;. if when e -_:ice accuse l'h for 

sin, 1 take up a life of duties, a form of godli- 
ness, to stop tlie mouth of consciences and 
hereupon conscience be still and then 

is this but a ~\ conscience : but if when 

conscience checks it will not be satisfied with 
any thi|ig hut the b f Christ, and there- 

fore I 11 lif 

I beg the sprinkling of his 1 upon con- 

science, and labour not so much to stop 



The Almost Christian, 137 

.:.tli of it, as to remove guilt from it, tlieii 
Is this a renewed conscience. 

3. u There is no natural man, let him go 
never so far, let him do never so much in the 
matters of relisdon. but still he lias his Beli- 
lah. his bosomffist/' Judas went far, but he 
carried his covetousness along with him * : 
Herod went far, he did many things under 
the force of John's ministry; but yet there- 
was one thing he did not, be did not put a- 
wav his brother's wife, his Herodias lav in 
his besom stiilf. i^&y? commonly ail the na- 
tural man's duties are to hide some sin ; his 
profession is only made use of for a cover- 
shame. 

But now the renewed conscience hateth all 

. as David did : " I hate every false way' t 
he regard etli no iniquity in his heart-' :j| he 
useth duties, not to cover sin, but to help to 
work down and work out sin. 

Now then, if I profess religion, if I make 
mention of the name of the Lord, " and make 
my boast of the law. and yet through break- 
ing the law dishonour God y j : if I live in the 
love of any sin, and make use of my profes- 
sion to cover it, then am I an hypocrite, and 
my duties flow but from a natural conscience : 
but on the other hand, if I " name the name 
of the Lord Jesus, and withal depart from 
iniquity if" ; if I use duties, not to cover, 
but to discover and mortify sin ; then am I 

•John xii. 6. jM^rk vi. 20. and verse 17, -8. 
i Psalm, cxix. 123. i! Psalm Ixvi. 18. § Rom, ii. 9 
fl^Tim, ii. 19. 

MS 



138 The Almost Christian. 

upright before God, and my duties flow from 
a renewed conscience. 

4. " A natural man prides himself in his 
duties ;" If he be much in duty, then he is 
much lifted up under dr^f. So did the 
Pharisee ; f< God, I thank^thee that I am 
not as other men are ; and why ? where lay 
the difference ? why, " I fast twice in the 
week ; I give tithes of all, £fc.* I 

But now take a gracious heart, a renewed 
conscience, and when his duties are at high- 
est, then is his heart at lowest. Thus it was 
with the apostle Paul ; he was much in ser- 
vice, " in season and out of season \ :" preach- 
ing up the Lord Jesus with all boldness and 
earnestness : and yet very humble in a sense 
of his own unworthiness under all : a Iam 
not worthy to be called an apostle %. To me 
who am less than the least of all saints, is 
this grace given, that I should preach among 
the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of 
Christ || :" And again : " Of sinners I am 
chief." § Thus a believer, when he is highest 
in duties, then is he lowest in humility. Duty 
puffeth up the hypecrite,but a believer comes 
away humbled : and why ? because the hypo- 
crite hath had no visions of God : he hath seen 
only his own gifts and parts, and this exalt- 
eth him : but the believer hath seen God;, 
and enjoyed communion with God, and this 

* Luke xvii. 11, 12. f 2 Tim, iv. 2. *1 Cor. xv, 9 
'II Ephes.iii, 8, §i Tim. i. 15. 



The Almost Christian/ 189 

humbleth him. Communion with God, tho* 
it be very refreshing, yet it is also very a~ 
basing and humbling to the creature. Hie- 
*ome observeth on Zeph. i. 1. where it is said 
that " Oushi was the son of Gedaliah, the 
son of Amariah" ; that " Amariah signifieth 
the word of the Lord ; Gedaliah signifieth the 
greatness of the Lord ; and Cushi is interpre- 
ted Humility, or my Ethiopian : So that, 
saith he, from the Word of the Lord, cometh 
a sight of the greatness of the Lord, and from 
a sight of the greatness of the Lord, cometh 
Humility." 

Now then, if I pride myself in any duty, 
and am puffed up under my performances, 
then have 1 not seen nor met with God in any 
duty. But on the other hand, if when my 
gifts are at highest, my heart is at lowest : 
if when my spirit is most raised, my heart is 
then most humbled : if in the midst of all my 
services I can maintain a sense of my own* 
unworthiness : if Cushi be the son of Gedeli- 
ah, then have 1 seen and had commun- 
ion with God, and my performances are from 
a renewed conscience. 

5. " Look what that is to which the heart 
doth secretly render the glory of a duty, and 
that is the principle of the duty/' In Hah. 
i. 16. we read of them that w sacrifice to their 
net, and burn incense to their drag ;*' where 
the slorv of an action is rendered to a man's 
self, the principle of that action is self, All 



140 The Mmpst (Jhrlsiian. 

rivers run iiuo the sea ;* that is an &vt 
iiietit they came from the sea; ; so when all a 
man 9 s duties terminate in self, then is self the 
principle of all. 

Now all the natural man's duties run into 
himself ; he was never by a*thorough work of 
grace truly cast out of himself, and brought to 
deny himself : and therefore he can rise no 
higher than himself in all he doth. He was 
never brought to be poor in spirit,and so to live 
upon another : to be carried out of all duties 
to Jesus Christ. 

But the believer give th the glory of all his 
services to God, whatever strength or life 
there is in duty. God hath all the glory | ; 
for he is by grace outed of himself, and there- 
fore seeth no excellence or worthiness in self. 

" I laboured more abundantly than they 
all," saith the apostle ; but to whom doth he 
ascribe the glory of this ? to self ? No : "yet 
not I," saith he, "but the grace of God which 
was with me.^J Whenever the grace of 
of Christ is wrought in the heart as a princi- 
ple of duty, you shall find the soul when it is 
most carried out, with a yet not I, in the 
mouth of it ; " I live, yet not I : I laboured 
more " abundantly than alhyet not I : v j| self is 
disclaimed, and Christ most advanced, when 
it is from grace that tne heart is quickened ; 
" C J the twenty four elders cast their crowns at 
Christ's feet§." 

* Eccles. i. T. f Psal. ex v. 1. \ 1 Cor. xV. IQ, 

.; Gal. ii § Rev- iv. 10. 



The Almost Gkristian. Hi 

There are two things very hard : one is, 
take the shame of our sins to ourselves ; 
the other is, to give the glory of our services 
to Christ. 

Now then, if I sacrifice to my own net, if 
I aim at my own credit or profit, and give the 
rforp of all I do to self, then do I sow to the 
flesh, and was never vet cast out of self, but 

7 - V s 

act only from a natural conscience ; but if I 
give the glory of all my strength and life in 
duty onlv to God ; if I niaenifv grace in all, 
and can truly say in all I do. •'•' vet not I/'* 
then am I truly cast out of self, and do what 
I do v renewed conscience. 

6. ^Though a natural conscience may put 
a man much upon service, yet it never presses 
to the attainment of holiness :"' So that he 
earrieth an unsanctified heart under all. How 
long was Judas a professor, and not one dram 
of grace that he had got ? The foolish vir- 
gins you know <• took their lamps, but took 
>il in their vessels \-*\ that i- ked 

Fter a profession than after sanctities- 

when a renewed conscience put-" 

upon duty, it is succeeded with the 

of holiness : as grace helpeth to 

tig of duty, so duty helpeth to the growing 

of grace : a believer is the more holy and 

more heavenly, by his being much in du- 

Now then, if I am much in a life of duties, 

*Gal, vi. e. jMatt. xxv. 8. 



142 The Almost Christian. 

and ye: Tiger to a life of holiness ; if I 

maintain a high profession, and yet have not 
a true work of saiietiUcation ;. if like children 
ai the tickets* I grow big in the head, but 
weak in the feet ; then have I gifts and parts, 
hut no grace ; and though I am much in serv- 
ice^ yet have I but a natural conscience. But 
on the other hand, if the holiness of my con- 
versation carrieth a proportion to my profes- 
sion, if I am not \* a hearer of the word only, 
but a doer of it ;" if grace growethin seasons 
of duty ; then do 1 act in the things of God 
from a renewed conscience. 

7. And lastly, " If a natural conscience be 
the spring of duty, why then this spring runs 
fastest at first, and so abateth, and at last dri- 
eth up ;*? But if a renewed conscience, a sanc- 
tified heart be the spring of duty, then this 
spring will never dry up ; it will run always, 
from first to last, and run quicker at last than 
first : u I know thy works, and the last to be 
more than the first.* The righteous sha 
hold on his way ; and he that hath clean 
hands shall be stronger and stronger."! 

Question. But you will say, Why doth that 
man abate and languish in his duties, that 
doth them from a natural conscience, more 
than he that doth them from a renew r ed con- 
science. 

Answer. The reason is, because they grow 
upon a fallible root, a decaying root, and that 
is nature : Nature is a fading root, and so are 

*Rcv. ii. 19- -Job kvii 9, 



The Almost Christian. i¥4 

all its roots fading : but the duties done by a 
renewed conscience, are fruits that grow upon 
a lasting root, and that is Christ. u Gifts 
have their root in nature, but grace hath its 
root mChrist' : and therefore the weakest grace 
shall outlive the greatest gifts and parts; be- 
cause there is life in the root of the cue, and 
not in that of the other. Gifts and grace dif- 
fer like the leather of your shoe, and the skin 
of your foot : take a pair of sliGes that have 
the thickest soles, and if you go much in them, 
the leather weareth out, and in a little time a 
man's foot Cometh to the ground ; but now a 
man that goeth barefoot all his days, the skin 
of his feet does not wear out ; Why should 
not tiie sole ofhis foot sooner wear out than 
the sole of his shoe, for the leather is much 
thicker than the skin ? The reason is, because 
there is life in the one, and not in the other ; 
there is life in the skin of the foot, and there- 
fore that holdeth out, 3,nd groweth thicker and 
thicker, harder and harder • but there is no 
life in the sole of his shae, and therefore that 
weareth out, and waxeth thinner and thinner ; 
so it is with gifts and grace. 

Now then, if I decay and abate, and grow 
weary of a porfession, and fall away at last : 
if I begin in the spirit, and end in the flesh, 
then was all I did from a natural conscience ; 
but if I grow and hold out, if I persevere to 
the end, and my " last works be more than 
my first," then I act from a renewed ce* 
science, 



144 The Almost Christian. 

And thus I have in seven things answered 
that question, namely, if conscience may go 
thus far in putting a man upon duties, 
then what difference is there between this na- 
tural conscience in hypocrites and sinners, 
and renewed conscience in believers ? 

And this is the first answer to the main 
query ; namely, " whence is it that many 
men go so far, as that they come to be almost 
christians W 

It is to answer the call of conscience. 

Secondly, "It. is from the power of the 
word under which they live ;" Though the 
word doth not work effectually upon all, yet 
it hath a great power upon the hearts of sin- 
ners to reform them, though not to renew 
them. 

1. It hath a discerning, discovering pow- 
er i " The word of (rod is quick and power- 
ful, sharper than any two-edged sword, pier- 
cing to the di\ iding asunder of soul and spir- 
it, and of the joints and marrow : and is a di§r 
cerner of the thoughts and intents of the 
heart.*" — This is the glass wherein every 
man may see what manner of man he is ; as 
the light of the sun discovers t]ie little motes, 
so the light of the word, shining into con- 
science, discovers little sins. f" 

3. The word hath the power of a law ; It 
gives law to the whole soul, binds conscience ; 
it is therefore frequently called the law in 
scripture :/< unless thy law had been my dc- 



The Almost Christian* 14$ 

light, &c* To the law, and to the testiino^ 
ny."f This is spoken of the whole word of 
God, which is therefore called a law, because 
of its binding power upon the conscience. 

3. It hath a judging power : " The word 
that I have spoken, the same shall judge him 
at the last day.":f The sentence that God 
will pass upon sinners hereafter, is no other 
than what the word passeth upon them here. 
The judgment of God is not a day wherein 
God will pass any new sentence, but it is such 
a day wherein God will make a solemn public 
ratification of the judgment passed by the min- 
istry of the word upon souls here. This I 
gather clearly from Matthew xviii, 18. 
•• Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth, shall 
be bound in heaven ; and whatsoever ye shall 
loose on earth, shall be loosed in heaven :" 
So that by bringing a man's heart to the word^ 
and trying it by that, he may quickly know 
what that sentence is that God will pass upon 
his soul in the last day : for as the judgment 
of the word is now, such will the judgment 
of God be concerning him in the last day. 

Indeed there is a twofold power farther than 
this in the word. 

It hath a begetting and saving power : bfct 
this is put forth only upon some. 

But the other is more extensive, and hath a 
great causality upon a profession of goodness, 
even among them that have no grace. 

A man that is under this threefold power of 

•Psal. cxix. 29, &c, -j-Tsa. viii. 20. tJohn xii. 43, 

N 



148 The JLlmost Christian. 

discerning law and judgment, that hath his 
heart ransacked and discovered,- his con- 
science bound and awed, his state and sinful 
condition judged and condemned ; may take 
up a resolution of a new life, and convert him- 
self to a great profession of religion. 

Thirdly, '- A man may go far in this course 
of profession from affectation of applause and 
credit, and to get a name in the world f As 
it is said of the Pharisees, they "lo\eto pray 
in the market places, and in the corners of the 
streets to be seen of men/'* 

Many are of MachiavePs principle, that 
the appearance of virtue is to be sought : be- 
cause tho ? the use bf it is a trouble, yet the 
credit of it is a help* 

Jerom, in his epistle to Julian, calls such 
u the base bondslaves of common faine.' > Ma- 
ny a man doth that for credit, that he will not 
do for conscience ; and owns religion more 
for the sake of lust than for the sake of 
Christ ; thus making God's stream to turn the 
devil's milL 

Fourthly, " It is from a desire of salvation." 
There is in all men a desire of salvation ; it 
is natural to every-being to love and seek its 
own preservation ; " Who will shew us any 
good ?"f This is the language of nature, 
seeking happiness to itself. 

Many a man may be carried so far out in 
the desires of salvation, as to do many things 
to obtain it* 

•Matt.- vi. 6. \?*d. iv - 6 ' 



The Almost Christian. 147 

So did the young man : u Good master, 
what good thing shall I do, that I may inher- 
it eternal life ?" He went far and did much, 
obeying many commands, and all out of a de- 
sire of salvation : So then, put these togeth- 
er, and there is an answer to that question. 

'•The call of conscience— The power of the 
word — The affectation of credit — And the 
desire of salvation." 

These may carry a man so far as to be al- 
most a christian. 

The third question propounded is this : 

Question. Thirdly, "Whence is it that 
many are but almost Christians when they 
have gone thus far ? What is the cause of 
this ?» 

JInsiver. I might multiply answers to this 
question ; but I shall instance in two only, 
which I judge the most material. 

First, " It is for want of right and sound 
conviction." If a man be not thoroughly 
convinced of sin, and his heart truly broken, 
whatever his profession of godliness may be, 
yet he will be sure to miscarry. Every work 
of conviction is not a thorough work ; there 
are convictions that are only natural and ra- 
but not from the powerful work of the 
spirit of God. 

Rational conviction, " is that which pw- 
ceeds from the working of a natural conscience 
charging guilt from the light of nature, by the 
help of those common principles of rcasdn 
that are in all men." 



148 The Almost Christian. 

This is the conviction you read of Romans ii. 
14. 15. it is said that the Gentiles who had 
not the law, yet had their consciences bear- 
ing witness, and accusing or excusing one 
another :" Though they had not the light of 
Scripture, yet they had convictions from the 
light of nature ; now by the help of the Gos- 
pel light these convictions may be much im- 
proved, and yet the heart not renewed. 

But then there is a spiritual conviction ; 
and this is that work of the Spirit of God up- 
on the sinner's heart by the word, whereby 
the guilt and filth of sin is fully discovered, 
and the woe and misery of a natural state dis- 
tinctly set home upon the conscience, to the 
dread and terror of the sinner w r hilst he abides 
in that state and condition." 

And this is the conviction that is a sound 
and thorough work. Many have their con- 
victions, but not this spiritual conviction. 

Query. Now you will say, " suppose I am 
at any time under conviction, how shall I 
know whether my convictions be only from a 
natural conscience, or whether they be from 
the spirit of God V 9 

Answer. I should digress too much to draw 
out the solution of this question to its just 
length : I shall therefore in five things only 
lay down the most considerable difference be- 
tween the one and the other. 

1. " Natural convictions reach chiefly to 
open and scandalous sins : sins against the 



The Almost Christian. 149 

light of nature : for natural conviction can 
reach no farther than natural light. 

But spiritual conviction reaches to "secret, 
inward, and undiscerned sins : such as hv~ 
poerisy, formality, lukewarmness, deadness,. 
and hardness of heart," &c. 
Observe then, whether your trouble for sin 
looks inward as well as outward, and reacli-_ 
es not only to open sing, but to secret lusts, to 
inward and spiritual sins : and if so,- this is a 
sure sign Gf the work of the Spirit, because 
the trouble occasioned by these sins, bears a 
more immediate relation to the holiness of 
, God, who only is offended by them ; they be- 
ing such as none else can* see or know. 

2. " Natural convictions deal only with a 
man's conversation," not with his state and 
condition, with sins actual, not original : but 
spiritual convictions reach to all sins, to sins 
of heart, as well as sins of life ; to the sin of 
our nature, as well as the sins of practice ; to 
the sin that is born in us, as well as the sin 
that is done by us. 

Where the Spirit of the Lord coj^^k to 
work effectually in any soul, he holdetlh ,the 
glass of the law before the sinnerJs eyes, and 
openeth his eyes to look into the glass, and 
to see all that deformity and filthiness that is 
in his heart and nature. 

The apostle Paul said, " I had not known 
sin but by the law/"* How can this be true, 
that he had not known sin but by the law, 

*Roni. vii 7. 



150 



The Almost Christian. 



when as the light of nature discovers sin ? It 
is said of the Gentiles, that " having not the 
law, they are a law unto themselves."* 

This sin therefore that the apostle speaks 
of, is not to he understood of sin actual, hut 
of sin original : " I had not known the pollu- 
tion of nature, that fountain of sin that is with- 
in ; this I had not known hut by the law." 
And indeed, this is a discovery that natural 
light cannot make. 

It is true, the philosopher could say, " that 
lust is the first and chief of all sins :" But I 
cannot think he meant it of original sin, but 
of the inordinancy of appetite and desire, at 
most ; for I find that the wisest of the philos- 
ophers understood nothing of original sin. 
Hear Seneca : " sin is not born with thee>. 
but brought in since." 

Quintilian saith, " It is more marvel that 
any one man sins, than that all men should 
live honestly ; sin is so against the nature of 
men." — How blind were they in this point ! 
And so was Paul, till the spirit of the Lord 
discovered it to him by the word. And in- 
deed this is a discovery proper to the spirit, 
It is he that makes the sinner see all the de- 
formity and filthiness that is within ; it is he 
that pulleth off all the sinner's rags, and 
makes him see his naked and wretched con- 
dition ; it is he that shows us the blindness of 
the mind, the stubbornness of the will, the 
disorderedness of the affections, the seared- 

*Ilom. ii. 14. 



Tlie Almost Christian* lot 

ness of the conscience, the plague of our hearts 
and the sin of our natures, and therein the 
desperateness of our state. 

3. " Natural convictions carry the soul 
out to look more on the evil that conies hy 
sin, than on the evil that is in sin :" So that 
the soul under this conviction is more troubled 
at the dread of hell, and wrath, and damna- 
tion ; than at the vileness and heinous nature 
of sin. 

But now spiritual convictions work the 
soul into a greater sensibleness of the evil that 
is in sin, than of the evil that comes by sin : 
the dishonor done to God by walking contra- 
ry to his will ; the wounds that are made in 
the heart of Christ ; the grief that the holy- 
Spirit of God is put to : this wounds the soul 
more than a thousand hells. 

4. " Natural convictions are not durable, 
they " are quickly worn out :" They are like 
a slight cut in the skin, that bleeds a little, 
and is sore for the present, but is soon heal 
ed again, and in a few days not so much as a 
scar to be seen. 

But spiritual convictions are durable, they 
cannot be worn out, they abide in the soul till 
they have reached their end, which is, the 
change of the sinner. 

The convictions of the spirit y are like a 
deep wound in the flesh, that goes to the bone, 
and seems to endanger the life of the patient* 
and is not healed but with great skill, and 
when it is healed leaves a sear behind it, thaw 



\ox 



The Almost Christian. 



when the patient is well, yet he can say, "here 
is the mark of my wound, which will never 
wear out." 

So a soul that is under spiritual conviction 
his wound is deep, and not to be healed, but 
by the great skill of the heavenly physician ; 
and when it is healed, there are the tokens' of 
it remaining in the soul, that can never be 
worn out : so that the soul may say, " here 
are the marks and signs of my conviction still 
in my soul." 

5. " Natural convictions make the soul 
shy of God. '* Guilt works fear, and fear 
causes estrangedness ; thus it was with Adam 
when he saw his nalcedness he ran away, and 
hid himself from God.* 

Now spiritual convictions drive not the 
soul from God, but unto God. Ephrainrs con- 
viction was spiritual, and he runs to God. 
c ' turn thou me, and I shall be turned f ." 
So that there is, you see, a great difference 
between conviction and conviction ; between 
that which is natural and that which is spirit- 
ual ; that which is common, and that which is 
saving. 

Yea, such is the difference, that though a 
man hath never so much of the former, yet if 
he be without the latter, he is bat almost* & 
christian; and therefore we have great reason 
to inquire more after this spiritual conviction. 
For, 

1. " Spiritual conviction is an essential 
part of sound conversion," Conversion he- 

* Gen. iii, 8. \ Jer, xsxi. 3. 



The Jtlmost Christian. 153 

gins here : true conyex'sion begins in convic- 
tions, and true convictions end in conversion* 
Till the sinner be convinced of sin, he can 
never be converted from sin; Christ's coming 
was as a Saviour to die for sinners ; and the 
Spirits coming is to convince us as sinners, 
that we may close with Christ as a Saviour ; 
till sin be thoroughly discovered to us, inter- 
est in the blood of Christ cannot rightly be 
claimed by us ; nay, so long as sin is unseen, 
Christ will be unsought. "They that be 
whole need not the physician, but they that 
are sick."* 

2. " Slight and common convictions, when 
they are but skin deep, are the cause of much 
hypocrisy ;" slight convictions may bring 
the soul to clasp about Christ, but not to close 
with Christ, and this is the guise of an hypo- 
crite : I know no other rise and spring of hy- 
pocrisy, like this of slight convictions : this 
hath filled the church of Christ with hypo- 
crites. 

Nay, it is not only the spring of hypocrisy, 
but it is also the spring of apostacy : what 
was the cause that the "seed was said to 
with It was because {' it had no 

dfeepiqtess r ]\" Where there is tho- 

;e is a depth of earth in 
the heart, . re the seed of the word 

grows ; I r v icre convictions are slight and 
common, there the seed withers for want of 
depth : so that yon see clearly, in this one 

* Matt. ix. U. | Matt, xiii, 5. G, 



i54 The Ahno$t Christian. 

instance, whence it is that many are but almost 
christians, when they have gone so far in re- 
ligion, to wit for want of sound convictions. 

Secondly, And this hath a near relation to 
the former : "'-It- is for want of a thorough 
work of grace first wrought in the heart :" 
where this is not, all a man's following pro- 
fession comes to nothing : that scholar is nev- 
er li&e to read well, that will needs be in his^ 
Grammar before he is out of his primmer : 
* cloth that is not wrought well in the loom will 
never wear well, nor wear long, it will do lit- 
tle service : so that christian that doth not 
come well off the loom, that hath not a thor- 
ough work of grace in his heart, will never 
wear well, he will shrink in the wetting, and 
never do much service for God : It is not the 
pruning of a bad tree will make it bring forth 
good fruit : but " the tree must be made good, 
before the fruit can be good."* 

" He that takes up a profession of religion 
with an unbroken heart, will never serve 
Christ in that profession with his whole 
'heart.*' 

If there be not a true change in that man's 
heart, that yet goes far, and does^much in the 
ways of God, to be sure he will either die an 
hypocrite or an apostate. 

Look, as in nature, if a man be not well 
born, but prove crooked or mishapen in the 
birth, why he will be crooked as long as he 
lives ; you may boalster or stuff out >tlies 



Hit 



The Almost Christian. 15S 

to conceal it, but the crookedness, the defor- 
mity remains still : you may hide it, but you 
cannot help it ; it may be covered, but it can- 
not be cured. 

So it is in this case : if a man come into a 
profession of religion, but be not right born ; 
if he be not <• begotten of God, and born of 
the Spirit ; *^ if there be not a thorough work 
of grace in bis beaxtj all his profession- of re- 
ligion will never mend him ; he may be bol- 
stered cut by a life of duties, but "he will be 
but an hypocrite at last : a form of Godliness 
may cover his crookedness, but will never 
cure it. 

A man can never be a true christian, nor 
accepted of God, though in the highest pro- 
fession of religion, without a work of grace in 
the heart. For, 

4. " There must be an answerableness in { 
-the frame of that man's heart that would be 
accepted of God, to the duties done by him ;*' e 
his spirit and affections within, must carry a m 
proportion to his profession without : prayer ay 
without faith, obedience to the law given, v 
without fear and holy reverence of the law- 
giver, God abhors : acts of internal worship 
must answer the duties of external worship. 

Now where there is no grace wrought in 
the heart, there can never be any proportion 
or answerableness in the frame of that man s 
heart, to the duties done by him. 

5, " Those duties that find acceptance w 7 ith 

*Jolm ill. -5. 



156 The Almost Christian. 

God, must be done in sincerity." God doth 
not take our duties by tale, nor judge of us 
according to the frequency of our performanc- 
es, but according to the sincerity of our hearts 
in the performance. It is this that commends 
both the doer and the duty to God : with 
sincerity God accepts the least we do, without 
sincerity God rejects the most w T e do, or can 
do : This is that temper of spirit which God 
highly delights in, Pro v, xi. 20. "They 
that are of a fro ward heart are an abomination 
to the Lord, but such as are upright in the 
way are his delight."* 

The Apostle gives it a great epithet : he 
calls it, in % Cor. i. 12. the sincerity of God ; 
that is, such a sincerity as is his special work 
upon the soul, setting the heart right and up- 
right before him in all his ways. 

This is the crown of all our graces, and 
the commendation of all our duties : Thou- 
sands perish, and go to Hell in the midst of 
all their performances and duties, merely for 
want of a little sincerity of heart to God. 

Now where there is not a change of state^ 
a work of grace in the heart, there can be no 
sincerity to God- ward ; for this is not an 
herb that grows in nature's garden : " The 
heart of man is naturally deceitful, and des- 
perately wieked,"f more opposite to sincerity 
than to any thing : As things corrupted car- 
ry a greater dissimilitude to what they were-, 
than to any thing else which they never w ere. 

*1 Chron. xxix, 17. f Jer. xvii. 9. 



I 



The Almost Christian I 157 

u God made man upright ;" now man vol- 
untarily losing this, is become more dislike to* 
himself than to any thing below himself : He 
is more like a lion, a wolf, a bear, a serpent, 
a toad, than to a man in innocency. 

So that it is impossible to find sincerity in 
any soul till there be a work of grace wrought 
there by the Spirit of God ; and hence it is 
that a man is hut almost a christian when he 
hath done all. 

The fo urtli Questio n . 

4. " What is the reason that many go no 
farther in the profession of religion, than to 
be almost christians ?" 

Reason 1. u It is because they deceive 
themselves in the truth of their own condi- 
tion ;" they mistake their state, and think it 
good and safe, when it is bad and dangerous ; 
a man may look upon himself as a member of 
Christ, and yet God may look upon him as a 
vessel of wrath ; as a child of God, by look- 
ing more upon his sins than his graces, more 
upon his failings than his faith, more upon 
indwelling lusts than renewing grace, may 
think his case very bad, when yet it is very 
good : " T am black," saith the spouse ; and 
yet. saith Christ, " O thou fairest among: wo- 
men :"* So the sinner, by looking more up- 
on his duties than his sins, may think he sees 
u his name written in the book of life," and 
yet be in the account of God a very repro- 
bate. 

* 1 Cant, i, 5, 8- 

o 



158 



The Almost Christian. 



There is nothing more common than for a 
•man to " think himself something when he is 
nothing/' and so he "deceives himself."* 
Many a man blesses himself in his interest in 
Christ, when he is indeed a stranger to him : 
Many a man thinks his sin pardoned, when 
alas ! he is still " in the gall of bitterness, and 

Many a man thinks he 



he is still " in the gall of bitterness, 
bond of iniquity."! 



hath grace when he hath none 



"There is," 



saith Solomon, "that makes himself rich, and 
yet hath nothing." J This \\as the very tem- 
per of Laodicea ; " Thou sayest, I am rich, 
and encreased with goods, and have need of 
nothing ,* and knowest not," pray mind that, 
" that thou art wretched, and miserable, and 
poor, and blind, and naked. ^ 

Thou knowest not ;J as bad as she was, she 
thought her state good ; as poor as she was 
in grace, she thought she was rich ; " as mis- 
erable and naked as she was, yet she thought 
she had need of nothing. ' 

Now there are several rises or grounds of 
this mistake. 

I will name five to you. 

First, "The desperate deceitfulness of the 
heart of every natural man." " The heart is 
deceitful above all things.! The Hebrew 
word is the same with Jacobs name : Now 
you know he was a supplanter of his brother 
Esau j " he is rightly called Jacob," saith 



»Gal. vi. 2. 
SRer, iii. 17, 



fActs viii.23. 



^Prov. iii, 7, 
JJJer. xvii. 9« 



The Almost Christian. 159 

he, " for he hath supplanted me these two 
times.** 

So the word signifies, to be fraudulent, sub- 
xile, deceitful, and supplanting. Thus is the 
heart of every natural man, h deceitful above 
all things." 

You read of the deeeitfulness of the tongue. 

And of the deeeitfulness of riches. 

And of the deeeitfulness of beauty. 

And of the deeeitfulness of friends. f 

■But yet the heart is deceitful above them 
all ; nay, you read of the deeeitfulness of Sa- 
tan, J yet truly a man's heart is a greater de- 
ceiver than he : for he could never deceive a 
man if his own heart did not deceive him. 

Now it is from hence that a man presumes 
upon the goodness of his case, from the des- 
perate treachery of his own heart. 

How common is it for men to boast of the 
goodness of their hearts ? " I thank God, 
though I do not make such a shew and pre- 
tence as some do, yet I have as good a heart 
as the best/ 5 O do but hear Solomon in this 
case, "he that trusteth in his own heart is a 
fool/* -J "Will any wiseman commit his mo- 
ney to the cut- purse ? Will he trust a cheat ? 
It is a good rule, remember to distrust : and 
it was Austin's prayer, that man that trusts to 
his own heart,, shall be sure to find hims 
ceived at last. 



Gen. xxvii. 


S6. 


f Psalm lii. 4. 


Matt. xiii. 22 


Prov. xxxi. 


50. 


Job vi.15. 
§Prov. xxvili. 26. 


iliev. xx. 3. 



160 The Almost Christian. 

Secondly, This mistake arises from the 
pride of a man's Spirit ; there is a proud heart 
in every natural man ; there was much of this 
pride in Adam s sin, and there is much of it in 
all Adam's sons : It is a radical sin, and from 
hence arises this overweening opinion of a 
mans state and condition : Solomon saith, 
" Be not righteous over-much.'** Austin 
speaking occasionally of those words, saith, 
it is f" not meant of the righteousness of the 
wise man, but the pride of the presump- 
tuous man/' Now in this sense every carnal 
man is righteous overmuch, though he hath 
none of that righteousness which commends 
him to God, to wit, the righteousness of 
Christ ; yet he hath too much of that right- 
eousness which commends him to himself, 
and that is self-righteousness. 

A proud man hath an eye to see his beauty 
but not his deformity ; his parts, but not his 
spots ; his seeming righteousness, but not his 
real wretchedness. 

" It must be a work of grace that must shew 
a man the want of grace/' The haughty eye 
looks upward, but the humble eye looks down- 
ward, and therefore this is the believers mot- 
to, The least of saints, the greatest of sin- 
ners :% but the carnal man s motto is, I thank 
God lam not as other men.\ 

Thirdly, " Many deceive themsc lib 

common grace instead of saving; 

*Eccl vii. 15. t Al1 

iEph.iii.8. 1 Tim.i. i. §L,uk< 



The Almost Christian. 161 

resemblance that is between them :"' As many 
take counterfeit money for current coin, so do 
too many take common grace for true. Saul 
took the devil for Samuel, because he appear- 
ed in the mantle of Samuel ;* so many take 
common grace for saving, because it is like 
saving grace: a man may be under a supernat- 
ural work, and vet fall short of a saving work : 
the fijrst raiseth nature, the second only renew- 
eth nature ; though every saving work of the 
spirit be supernatural, yet every supernatural 
work of the spirit is not saving ; and hence 
many deceive their own souls, bv taking a 
supernatural work for a saving work. 

Fourthly, " Many mistake a profession of 
religion for a work of conversion, and outside 
reformation for a sure sign of inward regene- 
ration. ? ? If the outside of the cup be washed, 
then they think all is clean, though it be never 
so foul within. This is the common rock 
that so many souls split upon, to their eter- 
nal hazard, taking up a form of godliness, 
but denying the power thereof, f 

Fifthly, " Want of a home application of 
the Law of God to the heart and conscience, 
to discover to a man the true state and condi- 
tion he is in/' 

Where this is wanting a man will sit down 
short of a true work of grace, and will reck- 
on his case better than it is. That is a nota- 
ble passage which the apostle hints concern- 
ing himself ; " I was alive without the law 

*1 Sam. xxi. 14, f#Tim'iiii 5;. 

02 



168 The Almost Christian. 

once, but when the Commandment came, sin 
revived, and I died."* 

Here you have an account of the different 
apprehensions Paul had of his condition with 
and without the word. 

1. Here is his apprehension of his condi- 
tion without the word ; " I was alive," saith 
lie, " without the Law ;" Paul had the Law, 
for he was a Pharisee, and they had the 
" form of knoAvledge, and of the truth of the 
Law ;"f therefore-, when he saith he was 
" without the Law," you must not take him 
literally but spiritually :■ he was without the 
power and efficacy of it upon his heart and 
conscience, convincing and awakening, and 
discovering sin : and so long as this was hi3 
case, he doubted not of his state, he was con- 
fident of the goodness of his condition ; this 
he hinted when he saith, " I was alive ;" but 
then, 

3. Here is his apprehension of his condition 
with the word, and that is route contrary to 
what it was before ; " when the commandment 
came," saith he, "then sin revived, and I 
died." 

When the word of the Lord came with 
power upon his soul, when the Spirit of God 
set it home effectually upon his conscience, 
that is meant by the coming of the command- 
ment, u then sin revived, and I died ;" that is, 
I saw the desperateness of my case, and the 
Ilthiness of all my self-righteousness. 

*Rora. Til. 9, fFhiL iii. 5, 6; Kow. ii- 2d- 



The Almost Christian. 4fe 

Then my hope ceased, and my confidence 
failed ; and as before I thought myself alive, 
and my sin dead ; so when God had awaken- 
ed conscience by the word, then I saw my sin 
alive and powerful, and myself dead and mis- 
er able. 

So that this is the first 'reason why men go 
no further in the profession of religion, than 
to be almost christians. 

It is because they mistake their state, and 
think it good when it is not : which mistake 
is five-fold. 

1. A deceitful Heart, 

2. A proud Spirit. 

3. Taking common Grace for saving, 

4. Outward Reformation, for true regene- 
ration. 

5. Want of home application of the law of 
God to the heart and conscience. 

Reason 2. " It is from Satan's cunnins:. 
who, if he cannot keep sinners in their open 
profaneness, then he labours to persuade them 
to take up with a form of godliness :" If he 
cannot entice them on in their lusts, with a to- 
tal neglect of Heaven, then he entices them to 
such a profession as is sure to fall short of 
Heaven. He will consent to the leaving some 
sin, so as we do but keep the rest ; and to the 
doing of some duties, so as we neglect the 
rest : Nay, rather than part with his interest 
in the soul, he will yield far to our profession 
of religion, and consent to any thing but our 
conversion; and closing with Christ for salya,,. 






164 The Almost Christian. 

lion : he cares not which way we come to hell, 
so as he gets us but thither at last. 

Reason 3. " It is from . wordly and carnal 
policy :* ? This is a great hindrance to many : 
Policy many times enters caveats against pie- 
ty ; Jehu will not part with his calves, lest 
he hazard his kingdom. 

Among many men there would be more 
#eal and honesty, were there less design and 
policy. There is an honest policy that 
helps religion, but carnal policy hinders it. 

We are commanded u to be wide as ser- 
pents f&M now " the serpent is the subtlest 
of creatures ;'->f but then we must be as " in- 
nocent as doves :" If piety be without poli- 
cy, it wants security ; if policy be without pi- 
ety, it wants integrity ; piety without policy 
is too simple to be safe, and policy without 
piety is too subtle to be good. 

Let men be as wise, as prudent, as subtle, 
as watchful as they will, but then let it be in 
the way of God, let it be joined with holiness 
and integrity. 

That is a cursed wisdom that forbids a 
man to launch any farther out in the depth 
of religion than he can see the land, lest he 
be taken in a storm before he can make safe 
to shore again. 

Reason <t. " There is some lusts espous- 
ed in the heart, that hinder a hearty close 
with Christ ;" though they bid fair, yet they 
come not to Grod's terms ; u the young man 

*Matt. x. Hi t.Gen. iii. 1.- 



Tlie Almost Christian. 163 

would have eternal life *?? : and lie bid fair 
for it, a willing obedience to every command 
but one, but only one ; and will not God a- 
bate him one ? is he so severe ? will lie not 
come down a little in his terms when man 
rises so high ? must man yield all ? will 
God yield nothing ? 

No, my brethren, he that underbids for 
heaven shall as surely lose it as he that will 
give nothing for it ; He that will not give all 
he hath, " part with all for that pearl of 
price,"! shall as surely go without it, as he 
that never once cheapens it. 

The not coming up to God's terms is the 
ruin of thousands of souls ; nay, it is that up- 
on which all that perish, do perish : a naked 
sinner to a naked Christ, a bleeding broken 
sinner to a bleeding broken Christ : these 
are God's terms. 

Most professors are like iron between two 
equal loadstones ; God draws, and they pro- 
pend towards God ; and the world draws, 
and they incline to the world; they are be- 
tween both, they would not leave God for the 
world, if they might not be engaged to leave 
the world for God. 

But if they must part with all, with eve^ 
ry lust, every darling, every beloved sin, 
why then the spirit of Demas possesses them, 
and God is forsaken by them.J 

My brethren, this is the great reason why 

*yU.tt, six. 20. -[Matt. xiii. 45, 4§, $2 Tim. if, !0 



[66 ie Mmo si Christian. 

many that are come to be almost christians 
go no farther*, some one beloved lust or other 
hinders them, and after along and high pro- 
fessiori, parts them and Christ forever : they 
did run well,* but here it is that they give 
out, and after all fall short, and perish to 
eternity. 

Thus having answered these four questions; 
namely, 

t. " How far a man may go in the way to 
Heaven, and yet be but almost a christian." 

2. " Whence it is that a man goeth so far 
as to be almost a christian." 

3. " Whence it is that a man is but almost 
a christian when he hath gone thus far :" 

4. " What is the reason men go no farther 
in religion, than to be almost christians ?" 

I proceed now to the application, 
, Inference I. u That salvation is not so 
ea*y a thing as it is imagined to be :" this is 
attested by our Lord Christ himself: Matt, 
vii. 14. <\ Strait is the gate, and narrow is 
the way that leadeth to life, and few there be 
that find it." The gate of conversion is a 
very strait gate, and yet every man that 
would be saved eternally must enter in at 
this strait gate, for salvation is impossible 
without it. u Except a man be born again," 
(born from above) "he cannot see the king- 
dom of God f." 

Not that this gate is strait simply, and in 
respect of itself : no : for converting grace is 

* Gal. v. 8. f John iii. S, 



The Almost Christian. 167 

free ; the c: gate of mercy stands open all the 
daylong *:?' In the tenders of gospel grace 
none are excluded, unless they exclude 
themselves ; Christ doth not say, u If such 
and such will come to me, I will not cast 
them out :" but, u him that cometh unto me 
(be he who or what he will, if he hath a heart 
to close with me) I will in no w T ise cast him 
out ;"f He saith not, "If this or that man will, 
here is water of life for him f but " If any 
man will, let him take the water of life free- 
ly/'J Christ grudgeth mercy to none ; tho' 
salvation was dearly purchased for us, yet it 
is freely proffered us. 

So that the gate which leadeth to life is not 
straight on Christ's part, or in respect of it- 
self, but it is strait in respect of us because of 
our lusts and corruptions, which make the 
entrance difficult ; a needle's eye is big e- 
nough for a thread to pass through, but it is 
a strait passage for a cable rope ; either the 
needle's eye must be enlarged, or the cable 
rope must be untwisted, or the entrance is im- 
possible. So it is in this case, the gate of 
conversion is a very strait passage for a carnal 
and corrupt sinner to go in at ; the soul can 
never pass through with any one lust beloved 
and espoused ; and therefore the sinner must 
be untwisted from every lust ; he must lay a- 
side the love of every sin, or he can never en- 
ter in at this gate, for it is a strait gate. And 

*Matt. xx!i,^5. Acts xiiUO* f John it. 37> $Rey.xxii. 17. 



168 The Mmost Christian. 

when lie is in at this strait gate, lie meeteth 
with a narrow way to walk in ; so our Lord 
Christ saith, " Narrow is the way that lead- 
eth to life/' and what way is this, hut the way 
ofsanetineation? For without holiness no 
man shall ever see the Lord."* 

Now this way of sanetifieation is a very 
narrow way, for it lies over the neck of every 
lust, and in the exereiseof every grace, sub- 
duin«- the one, and improving the other; dy- 
ins; daily, and yet living daily ; dying to sin, 
and living to God ; this is the way of sanctin- 
cation : And O, how few are there that walk 
in this way ! the broad way hath many tra- 
vellers in 'it, but this narrow way is like the 
ways of Canaan in the days of Shamgar : It 
is said, " In the days of Shamgar the son ot 
Anah, the highways were unoccupied, and the 
travellers walked through by-ways t ? An 
the Hebrew it is through crooked ways ; the 
way of holiness is by the most an unoccupied 
way : so saith the prophet, Isa. xxxv. 8, 9. 
« Away shall be there, and it shall be call- 
ed the way of holiness, the unclean shall not 
pass over it ; no lion shall be there, nor any 
ravenous beast shall go up thereon ; but the 
redeemed shall walk there f the unclean, 
and the lion, and the ravenous beast, they 
are in the crooked ways ; none but the re- 
deemed of the Lord walk in the way of the 

T 1 

It is no wonder then, that our Lord Christ 

'Heb.xu.14. t*rf« e » T - 6 ' 



The Almost Christian. 169 

saith of life, that " few there be that find it," 
when as the gate is strait, and the way narrow 
that leadeth to it : Many pretend to walk iu 
the narrow way, but they never entered in at 
the strait gate ; and many pretend to have eu- 
tered in at the strait gate, but they walk not 
in the narrow way. 

It is a very common thing for a man to per- 
ish upon a mistake of his way, to go on in 
those paths that take hold of hell, and yet 
hope to find heaven at last : Those twenty 
pares fore-mentioned run into destruction, and 
yet many choose them, and walk in them as 
the way of salvation. As many profane and 
open sinners perish by choosing the way of 
death, so many formal professors perish by 
"mistaking the way of life :'?# This I gather 
from that our Lord Christ saith, " Few there 
be that find it :" which doth clearly imply 
what in Luke xiii.24. he doth plainly express, 
to wit, that many seek it ; ••many seek to enter 
in, and yet are not able ;" many run far, and 
yet do not so run as to obtain : many bid fair 
for the pearl of price, and yet go without it; 
hell is had with ease, but ihe " kingdom of 
ven suffers violence/ 

Inference 2, *< If in; . thus far in the 

way to heaven, and yet miscarry^ O then 
what shall be the end of them who fall short 
of these !" If he shall perish who is almost a 
christian, what shall he do who is not at all a 
christian ? If he that owneth Christ, andpro^ 



170 The Almost Christian., 

fessetli Christ, and leaveth many sins for 
Christ, may be damned notwithstanding : 
What then shall his doom be that disowneth 
Christ, and refuseth to part with one sin, one 
lust, one oath for Christ ; nay, that openly 
blasphemeth the precious name of Christ ! If 
he that is outwardly sanctified shall yet be 
eternally rejected, what will the case be of 
such as are openly unsanctified, that have not 
only the plague of an hard heart within, but 
Also the plague sore of a profane life with- 
out ? If the formal professor must be shut 
out, surely then the filthy adulterer, swinish 
drunkard, the deep swearer, the profane sab- 
bath breaker, the foul-mouthed scoffer, yegt, 
and every carnal sinner much more : If there 
be a wo to him that falleth short of heaven, 
then how sad is the w t o to him -who falls short 
of them that fall short of Heaven} Ah, that 
&od would make this an awakening word 
to sinners that are asleep in sin, without 
the least fear of death, or dread of damna- 
tion . 

Use of Examination. 
Are there many in the world that are almost 
and yet hut almost christians ? why then " it 
is time for us to call our condition into ques- 
tion, and to make a more narrow scrutiny in- 
to the truth of our spiritual festate,'' what it is, 
whether it be right or no ; whether we are 
sound and sincere in our profession of reli- 
gion, or no. When our Lord Christ told his 
disciples, " One of you shall betray nie," ev 



The Almost Christian, 171 

ery one began presently to reflect upon him- 
self ; Master, is it I ? Master, is it I ?" So 
should we do, when the Lord discovers to 
us from his word, how many there are under 
the professien of religion that are but almost 
christians, w r e should straightway reflect upon 
our hearts, Lord is it I ? Is my heart unsound ? 
Airi I hut almost a christian ? Am I one of 
them that shall miscarry at last ? Am 1 an 
hypocrite under a profession of religion ? 
Have I a form of godliness without the 
power ? 

There are two questions of very great im- 
portance, which we should every one of us 
often put to ourselves : 

" What am I ?" 

« Where am I ?" 

1. " What am I?" Am I a child of God, 
or not ? Am I sincere in religion, or am I 
only an hypocrite under a profession ? 

2. " Where ami ?" Am I yet in a natu- 
ral state, or a state of grace ? Am I yet in the 
old root, in old Adam, or am I in the root 
Christ Jesus ? Am I in the covenant of 
works that ''ministers only wrath and death ? 
Or am I in the covenant of grace, that minis- 
ters life and peace. 

Indeed this is the first thing a man should 
look at ; there must be a change of state, be- 
fore there can be a change of heart ; we must 
come under a change of covenant, before we 
can be under a change of condition, for the 



±72 The Almost Christian. 

new heart and the new spirit* is promised in 
the new covenant : There is nothing of thai 
to be heard of in the old : now a man must be 
under the new covenant, before he can re- 
ceive the blessing promised in the new cove 
nant : he must be in a new covenant-state, 
before he can recieve a new covenant-heart ; 
no mercy, no pardon, no change, no conver- 
sion, no grace dispensed out of covenant ; 
therefore this should be our great enquiry, for 
if we know not where we are, we cannot know 
what we are ; and if we know not what we 
are, we cannot be what we should be ; namely, 
altogether christians. Let me then, I be- 
seech you, press this duty upon you that are 
professors, try " your own hearts, examine 
yourselves whether you are in the faith, prove 
your ownselves."f I urge this upon most co- 
gent arguments. 

1. <• Because many rest in auction of god- 
liness and outward shews of religion, and yet 
remain in their natural condition */' Many 
€i are hearers of the word, but u not doers 
of it," and so deceive their own souls : % 
Some neither hear nor do ; these are profane 
sinners : Some both hear and do: these are 
true believers : Some hear, but I o not 

do : these are hypocritical professors. 

He that slights the ordinances cannot be a 
true christian ; but yet it is possible a man 
may own them, and profess them, and yet be 
no true christian ; who would trust to a pro~ 

*£zek, xxxvi. 36 



The Almost Christian, 173 

fession, that shall see Judas a disciple, an a 
postle, a preacher of the gospel, one that cast 
out devils, to be cast out himself ? " He is 
not a Jew which is one outwardly, neither is 
that circumcision which is outward in the 
flesh : but he is a Jew which is one inwardly, 
and circumcision is that of the heart, in the 
spirit, and not in the letter, whose praise is 
not of men but of God. # 

&. " Because errors in the first foundation 
are very dangerous ;'•' If we be not right in the 
main, in the fundamental work ; if the foun- 
dation be not laid in grace in the heart, all our 
following profession comes to nothing : the 
house is built upon a sandy foundation, and 
though it may stand for a while, yet " when 
the floods come, and the winds blow and beat 
upon it, great will be the fall of it/'f 

3 " Because many are the deceits that our 
souls are liable to in this case \^ There are 
many things like grace, that are not grace 5 
now it is the likeness and similitude of things 
that deceives, and makes one thing to be taken 
for another. 

Many take gifts for grace, common know- 
ledge for saving knowledge ; when as a man 
may have great gifts, and yet no grace ; great 
knowledge, and yet not know Jesus Christ. 

Some take common faith for saving, when 
as a man may believe all the truths of the 
gospel, all the promises, all the threatnings, 

PS 



174* The Mmost Christian. 

all the articles of the creed to be true, and 
yet perish for want of saving faith. 

Some take morality and restraining grace 
for piety and renewing grace, when as it is 
common to have sin much restrained, where 
the heart is not renewed. 

Some are deceived with a half work, tak- 
ing conviction for conversion, reformation for 
regeneration ; we have many Mermaid Chris- 
tians : 

Or like Nebuchadnezzar's image, head of 
gold, and feet of clay :* The Devil cheats 
most men by a synecdoche, putting a part for 
the whole ; partial obedience to some com- 
mands, for universal obedience to all. End- 
less are the delusions that Satan fastens up- 
on souls, for want of this self-search : It is 
necessary therefore that we try our state, lest 
we take the shadow for the substance, and 
embrace a cloud instead of Juno. 

4. " Satan will try us at one time or oth- 
er :" He will winnow us, and sift us to the 
bottom ;f and if we now rest in a groundless 
confidence, it will then end in a comfortless 
despair. 

Nay, God himself will search and try us 
at the day of judgment especially, and who can 
abide that trial,that never tries his own heart ? 

5. u Whatsoever a man's state be, wheth- 
er he be altogether a christian or no, whether 
his principle be soluk! or no, yet it is good to 
examine his own heart :*\+ If he find his heart 

v Dan, & £2 2S-. uke ii. 31* ^Gal. vi. 4 



Tlte Almost Christian . i : ; % 

good, his principles right and sound, this will 
be matter of rejoicing : If he find his heart 
rotten, his principles false and unsound, the 
discovery is in order to a renewing ; If a man 
ha\e a disease upon him and know it, he may 
send to the physician in time ; hut what a sad 
vexation will it be, not to see a disease till it 
be past cure ? So for a man to be graceless, 
and not see it till it be too late, to think him- 
self a christian when he is not, and that he is 
in the right wav to heaven, when he is in the 
ready way to hell, and yet not know it till a 
death-bed or a judgment- day confute his con- 
fidence : This is the most irrecoverable mis- 
ery. 

These are the grounds upon which I press 
this clutyj of examining oar state : O that God 
would help us in the doing this necessary 
duty ! 

Question. You say, <• But how shall I 
come to know whether I am almost or alto- 
gether & christian ?*? If a man mav 2:0 so far, 
and yet miscarry, how shall I know when my 
foundation is right, when I am a christian in- 
deed ? 

Answer 1. " The altogether christian closes 
with, and accepts of Christ upon gospel 
terms/' True union makes a true christian : 
Many close with Christ but it is upon their 
own terms ; They take him and own him, but 
not as God offers him. The terms upon which 
God in the gospel offers Christ, are, that we 
shall accept of a broken Christ with a boRen 



176 The Almost Christian, 

heart, and yet a whole Christ with the whole 
heart. 

A broken Christ with a broken heart, as a 
witness of our humility ; a whole Christ with 
a whole heart, as a witness of our sincerity, 
A broken Christ respects his suffering for sin : 
a broken heart respects our sense of sin ; a 
whole Christ includes all his offices ; a whole 
heart includes all our faculties. Christ is a 
King, Priest and Prophet, and all as Media- 
tor; without any one of these offices, the work 
of salvation could not have been completed : 
As a priest he redeems us ';■ as a prophet he 
instructs us ; as a king he sanctifies and saves 
us : Therefore the Apostle says, " He is 
made to us of God, wisdom, righteousness, 
sanctification and redemption :" righteous- 
ness and redemption flow from him as a 
Priest, wisdom as a Prophet, sanctification as 
a King. 

Now many embrace Christ as a Priest, 
but yet they own him not as a king and proph- 
et; " they like to share in his righteous- 
ness,*" but not to partake of his holiness; 
they would be redeemed by him, but they 
would not submit to him ; they would be sa- 
ved by his blood, but not submit to his pow r 
er. Many love the privileges of the gospel, 
but not the duties of the gospel. Now these 
are but almost christians, notwithstanding 
their close with Christ, for it is upon their 
own terms, but not upon God's* The offices 



The Mmost Christian, 1/7 

of Christ niay be distinguished; but they can 
never be divided. 

But the true christian owns Christ in all 
his offices : he doth not only close with him 
as Jesus, but as Lord Jesus : he says with 
Thomas, " My Lord, and my God *.*f He- 
doth not only believe in the merits of his 
death, but also conforms to the manner of his 
life : as he believes in him, so he lives to him : 
he takes him for his wisdom, as well as for 
his righteousness, for his sanctification. as 
well -as his redemption. 

2. " The altogether christian hath a thor- 
ough work of grace and sanctification wrought 
in the heart, as a spring of duties. Regene- 
ration is a whole change, all old things are 
done away, and all things become new :"f 
It is a perfect work as to parts, though not as 
to degrees. Carnal men do duties, but they 
are from anunsanctified heart, and that spoils 
all. A •• new piece of cloth" never doth 
well i(t in an old garment/" for U\q " rent is 
but made worse J." When a man's heart is 
thoroughly renewed by grace, the mind sa- 
vingly enlightened, the conscievce thorough- 
ly convinced, the will truly humbled and sub- 
dued, the affections spiritually raised and 
sanctified, and when mind, and will, and 
conscience, and affections, all join issue to 
help on with the performance of the duties 
commanded; then is a. msai altogether a chris- 
tian. 

* Iblhn xxc C8, f 2 Cor. r. 1C. i Matt ix. 10. 



178 The JUmost Christian. 

3. " He that Is altogether a christian^ 
looks to the manner as well as to the matter 
of his duties ;" Not only that they be done, 
but how they be done. He knows the chris- 
tian s privileges lie in pronouns, but his duty 
in adverbs ; it must not be only bpnum, good, 
but it must be bene, that good must be rightly 
done. 

Here the almost christian fails, he doth the 
same duties that others do for the matter, but 
he doth them not in the same manner ; while 
he minds the substance, he regards not the 
circumstance : if he pray, he regards not faith 
and fervency in prayer * : if he hear, he doth 
not mind -Christ's rule, " Take heed how 
you hear f ; n if he obeys, he looks not to the 
frame of his heart in obeying J, and therefore 
miscarries in all he doth ; and of these defects 
spoil the good of every duty. 

4. " The altogether christian is known by 
his sincerity, in all his performances. J What- 
ever a man does in the duties of the gospel, 
he cannot be* a christian without sincerity. 
Now the almost Christian fails in this ; for 
though he doth much, prays much, hears 
much, obeys much, yet he is an hypocrite un- 
der all. 

5. He that is altogether a christian, hath 
an " answerableness within to the law with- 
out \ v There is a connaturalness between 
the word of God and the will of a christian % 
Ms heart is, as it were, the transcript of the 

* James v. 16. i Luke yiii. 18. 4 Rom. rk 17. 



The Mmost Christian. 179 

law : the same holiness that is commanded in 
the word, is implanted in his heart ; the same 
conformity to Christ, that is enjoined hy the 
word of God, is wrought in the soul by the 
Spirit of God ; the same obedience which the 
word requireth of him, the Lord enableth him 
to perform, by his grace bestowed on him. 
This is that which is promised in the new eo- 
venant ; " I will put my law in their inward 
parts, and write it in their hearts.*" Now 
the writing his law in us, is nothing else but 
his working that grace and holiness in u& 
which the law commandeth and requireth of us* 
In the old-covenant administration, God 
wrote his laws only upon tables of stone, but 
not upon the heart ; and therefore, though 
God wrote them, yet they broke them ; but in 
the new-covenant administration, God pro 
vides new tables ; not tables of stone, but 
" the fleshly tables of the heart, *f and writes 
his laws there, that there might be a law with, 
in, answerable to the law without ; and this 
every true christian hath ; so that he may say 
in his measure, as our Lord Christ did ; " I 
delight to do thy will O my God ; thy law is 
within my heart. ''J Every believer hath a 
light within him, not guiding him ta despise 
and slight, but to prize and walk by the light 
without him : the word commands him to 
walk in the light, and the light directs him to 
walking according to the word. 

* Heb. ix, 10. and %• \6. Jei\ xxxi. 33. 
1 2 Cor. Hi. 3. 4 Psalm xl. «8' 



im The Almost Christian, 

Moreover, from this impression of the lav, 
upon the heart, ohedience and conformity to 
God becomes the choice and delight of the 
soul ; for holiness is the very nature of the 
new creature ; so that if there were no scrip 
ture, no bible to guide him, yet he would be 
holy, for he hath received # grace for grace-; * 
there is a grace within to answer to the word 
of grace without. 

Now the almost christian is a stranger to 
this law of God within : he may have some 
conformity to the word in outward conversa- 
tion, but he cannot have this answerableness 
to the word in inward constitution. 

6. " The altogether christian is much in 
duty, and yet much above duty;" much in 
duty, in regard of performances ; much above 
duty, in regard of dependance ; much in duty 
by obeying ; but much above duty by believing 
He lives in his obedience, but he doth not 
live upon his obedience, but upon Christ and 
his righteousness. 

The almost christian fails in this : He is 
much in duty, but not above it, but rests in 
it ; he works for pest, and he rests in his 
worlcs ; he cannot come to believe and obey 
too ; if he believes; then he thinks there is no 
need of obedience, and so casts oil'that : if he 
be much in obedience, then he casts off be- 
lieving, and thinks there is no need of that : 
He cannot say with David, "I have hoped 
for thy salvation, and done thy command- 
ments.f^ 

*John i. If. ] Psalm c^ix. 166. 



The Almost Christian, 181* 

The more a man is in duty, and the more 
above it : the more in doing, and more in be- 
lieving, the more a christian. 

7. "He that is altogether a christian is u~ 
niversal in his obedience :" He doth not 0- 
b^v one command and neglect another, do 
©He duty aiifci cast oif another : but he hath 
respect to all the commands, he endeavours 
to leave every sin, and love every duty.* 

The almost christian fails in this : his obe- 
dience is partial and piece-meal ; if he obeys 
one command, he breaks another ; the duties 
that least cross his lust, he is much in , but 
those that do, he lays aside. 

The Pharisees " fasted, prayed, paid 
tithes,"! & c * hut they did not lay aside their 
^ovetousiiess, their oppression ; they " de- 
voured widows' houses, " they were " unnatu- 
ral to parents.";): 

8. "The altogether christian makes God's 
glory the chief end of all his performances :" 
If he prays, or hears^ or gives, or fasts, or re- 
pents, or obeys, Sfc. God's glory is the main 
end of all ; It is true, he may have somewhat 
else at the hither end of his work, but God is 
at the farther end: as Moses's rod swallowed 
up the magicians' rods, so God's glory is the 
ultimate end that swallows up all his other 
ends. Now the almost christian fails in this : 
his ends are corrupt and selfish ; God may 
possibly be at the hither end of his work, but 

« JPsaim cxiV. 6. f Matt, xxlii, 2a 

$ Matt™ iii. 14, 



183 The Almost Christian. 

self is at the farther end ; for he that was 
never truly cast out of himself, can have no 
higher end than himself. 

Now then examine thyself by these charac- 
ters : put the question to thy own soul ; dost 
thou close with Christ upon gospel terms ? Is 
grace in the heart the principle of thy per- 
formances? Dost thou look to the manner, as 
well as the matter of thy duties ? Dost thou 
do all in sincerity ? Is there an answerable- 
ness within to the law without ? Art thou much 
above duty, w 7 hen much in duty ? Is thy obedi- 
ence universal ? Lastly, is God's glory, ihe 
end of all ? If so, then art thou not only al- 
most, but altogether a christian. 

Second Use of caution. " O take heed of 
being almost, and yet but almost a christian :" 
It is a great complaint of God against E- 
phraim, that u he is a cake not turned ; w * that 
is, half baked, neither raw nor roasted, nei- 
ther cold nor hot, as Laodicea, " Because 
thou art neither hot nor cold, therefore I will 
spew thee out of my mouth." 

This is a condition that of all others, is 
greatly unprofitable, exceedingly uncomfort- 
able, and desperately dangerous. 

First, " It is greatly unprofitable to be but 
almost a christian ;" for failing in any one 
point, will ruin us as surely as if we had nev- 
er made any attempts for heaven. It is no 
advantage to the soul to be almost converted ; 
for the little that we want, spoils the good of 



The Almost Christian. iS6 

all our attainments : We say, as good never 
a whit as never the near ; there is no profit 
in leaving this or that sin, unless we leave all 
sin. Herod heard John gladly, and did ma- 
ny things, but he kept his Herodias, and that 
ruined him. Judas did many things, prayed 
much, preached much, professed much, hut yet 
his covetousness spoiled all ; one sin ruined 
the young man, that had kept all the com- 
mands but one. Thus he " that offends in one 
point, is guilty of all."* That is, that lives 
wilfully and allowedly in any one sin, he 
brings the guilt of the violation of the whole 
law of God upon his soul, and that upon a 
twofold account. 

1. Because he manifests the same contempt 
of the authority of God, in the wilful breach 
of one, as of all. 

S. By allowing himself in the breach of any 
one command, he shews he kept none in obe- 
dience and conscience toGod: for he that hates 
sin as sin, hates all sin, and he that obeys the 
command as the express will of God, obeys 
every command. And for this cause the least 
sin, wilfully and with allowance lived in, 
spoils the good of all our obedience, and lays 
the soul under the whole wrath of God. One 
leak in a ship may sink her, though she be 
tight every way else ; u Gideon had seventy 
sons,"! aiK l but one bastard, and yet that one 
bastard destroved all his sons ; so mav one 

* James v. 10. 
f Judges vili. S3* 31. compared with ft. xix, v. 5. 



184 The Almost Christian. 

sin spoil all our services ; one lust beloved may 
spoil all our profession^ that one bastard slew 
all the sons of Gideon. 

Secondly, " It is exceedingly uncomforta- 
ble ;" as appears three ways. 

!• " In that such a one is hated of God 
and men :" the world hates him because of 
his profession, and God abhors him because of 
Ms dissimulation ; the world hates him be- 
cause he seems good, and God hates him be- 
cause he doth but seem so. No person that 
God hates more than the almost christian : 
" I would thou wert either cold or hot ??f 
either all a christian, or not at all a chris- 
tian. 

" Because thou art neither cold nor hot, 
therefore I will spew thee out of my mouth.' 5 
What a loathsome expression doth God here 
use, to shew what an utter abhorrency there 
is in him against lukewarm christians ? 

How uncomfortable then must that condition 
needs be wherein a man is abhorred both of 
God and man ? 

2. " It is uncomfortable in regard of suffer- 
ings ;" for being almost a christian, will bring 
us into suffering ; but being but almost a 
christian, will never carry us through suffer- 
ing. In Matt. xiii. 20, Si. it is said, " He 
that receiveth the^eed into stony ground, the 
same is he that hears the word, and with joy 
receives it ; yet hath he not root in himself, 
but diiretb for a while ; for when tribulation 

*Re\. iu; 1&, 16. 



'Fke Almost Christian, 185 

or persecution arisetli because of the word, 
by-and-by be is offended. " 

"There are four things observable in the 
words. 

1. That the stony-ground may receive the 
word with joy. 

2. That it may for some time abide in a 
profession of it : he dureth for a while. 

3. That this profession will expose to suf- 
fering ; for inark, persecution is said to arise 
because of the word. 

t. This suffering will cause an apostatis- 
ing from profession ; for that which is here 
called offence, is in Luke viii. 13. called "fall- 
ing away : which for a while believe, and in. 
time of temptation fall away." 

I gather hence, a profession may expose a 
man as much to suffering as the power of god- 
line s ; but without the power of godliness 
theiv is no holding out in a profession under 
suffering. The world hates the shew of god- 
liness, and therefore persecutes it ; the al- 
most christian wants the substance, and there- 
fore cannot hold out in it. 

Now this must needs be very uncomforta- 
ble : if I profess religion, I am like to suffer r 
if I do but profess it, I am never like to en- 
dure. 

3. "It is uncomfortable, in regard of that 
deceit it lays our hopes under :" to be de- 
ceived of our hopes causeth sorrow as well as 
shame : He that is but almost a christian^ 
hopes for heaven ; but unless he be alto- 



486 The Almost Christian. 

gether a christian, he shall never come 
there. 

Now to perish with hopes of Heaven, to go 
to Hell by the gates of Glory, to come to the 
very door, and then be shut out as the five vir- 
gins were :* to die in the wilderness, within 
the sight of the promised land, at the very 
brinks of Jordan ; this must needs be sad : 
To come within a stride of the goal and yet 
miss it ; to sink within sight of harbour : O 
how uncomfortable is this. 

4. Ci As it is greatly unprofitable, and 
exceedingly uncomfortable, to be but almost 
a christian, so it is desperately dangerous :** 
For, 

1. " This hinders the true work ?* A man 
lies in a fairer capacity for conversion, that 
lies in open enmity and rebellion, than he that 
sooths up himself in the formalities of reli- 
gion. This I gather from that parable of the 
two sons which our Lord Christ urged to the 
professing Scribes and Pharisees/*! 

" There was a man had two sons, and he 
came to one, and said Go work to day in my 
vineyard, he said, I will not ; but afterwards 
repented and went. "J 

" And he came to the second, and said 
likewise : and he said, I go Sir ; but went 
not." 

The first represents the carnal open sinnei> 
that is called by the word, but refuses, yet af 

* Matt, xxv. 10. f Matt. a" ; . 2& 

♦Mai «i. as,, m, 



The Mrnosi Christian. iK 

terwards repents and believes. The second 
represents the hypocritical professor, that pre- 
tends much, but performs little : Now mark 
how Christ applies this parable, verse 31, 
" Verily I say unto yo% that the publicans 
and the harlots go into the kingdom of God 
before you. ' 

And upon this account it is better not to be 
at all, than to be almost a christian : for the 
almost hinders the altogether. It is better, 
in this regard, to be a sinner without a profes- 
sion, than to be a professor without conver- 
sion ; for the one lies fairer for an inward 
change, when the other rests in an outward. 
Our Lord Christ tells the Scribe, " thou art 
not far from the kingdom of God/"* yet nev- 
er like to come there. None farther from the 
kingdom of God, than such as are not far 
from the kingdom of God. As for instance, 
when there lies but one last, one sin between 
a soul and Christ, that soul is not far from 
Christ : but now when the soul rests in this 
nearness to Christ, and yet will not part with 
that one lust for Christ, but thinks his condi- 
tion secured, though that lust be not subdued ; 
who is farther from the kingdom of God than 
he ?» 

So our Lord Christ tells the youns: man- 
f< One thing thou lackest ; v f why he was very 
near Heaven, near being a christian altogeth- 
er, he was almost saved ; he tells Christ he 
had kept all the commands, verse 20. He 

* Mark xii. 34, 'Mark xx. 2i. 



188 Tlie Almost Christ i 

lacked but one thing ; I say, but one thing : 
but it was a great thing ; that one thing he 
lacked was more than all things he had. for 
it was the one thing necessary ;* it was a new 
heart, a work of grace in his soul, a change 
of state, a heart weaned from the world ; 
This was the one thing, and he that lacks 
this one thing, perishes with his all things 
else. 

2. " This condition is so like a state of 
grace, that the mistake of it for grace is easy 
and common i n and it is very dangerous to 
mistake any thing for grace that is not grace ; 
for in that a man contents himself, as if it 
were grace. Formality doth often dwell next 
door to sincerity, and one sign serves both : 
and so the house-maybe easily mistaken, and 
by that means a man may take up his lodging 
there, and never find the way out again. 

What one saith of wisdom (many might 
have been wise, had they not thought them- 
selves so when they were otherwise) the same 
I may say of grace : many a formal professor 
might have been a sincere believer, had he 
not mistook his profession for conversion, his 
duties for grace, and so rested in that for sin- 
cerity that is but hypocrisy. 

3. " It is a degree of blasphemy to pretend 
lo grace, and yet have no grace. " I gather 
this from that, Rev. ii. 9. " I know the blas- 
phemy of them which say they are Jews, and 
ar&not" This place undergoes variety of 

* Luke x. 42? 



The Almost Christian, 189 

constructions : Grotius and Parous do not 
make their blasphemy to lie in their saying 
they are Jews, and are not ; but to lie in the 
reproaches that these Jews fastened upon 
Christ, calling him impostor, deceiver, one 
that hath a devil, &c. 

Brightman goes another w r ay, and saith, 
this was the blasphemy of these Jews, they 
retained that way of worship that was abro- 
gated, and thrust upon God those old rites and 
ceremonies which Jesus Christ had abolished, 
and nailed to his cross,* by which they over- 
threw the glory of Christ, and denied his coin* 
ing. 

But I conceive the blasphemy of these Jews 
to lie in this, that they said they were Jews 
and were not. A Jew here is not to be taken 
literally and strictly only, for one of the lin- 
eage of Abraham, but it is to be taken meto 
nymically for a true believer, one of the spir- 
itual seed of Abraham : He is a Jew which 
is one inwardly ; so that for a man to say he 
is a Jew when he is not, to profess an interest 
in Christ when he hath none, to say he hath 
srace when he hath none, this Christ calls 
blasphemy. 

But why should Christ call this blasphe- 
my ? This is hypocrisy ; but how: may it 
be said to be blasphemy? Why he blas- 
phemes the great attribute of God's omnicien- 
cy, he doth implicitly deny that God sees 
and knows our hearts and thoughts, for if a 

* CoL 3, If 



190 The Mmosi Christian* 

man did believe the omniciency of God, that 
lie searches the heart, and sees and knows 
all within, he would not dare to rest in a 
graceless profession of godliness : This, 
therefore, is blasphemy in the account of 
Christ. 

4. " It is dangerous to be almost a chris- 
tian, in that this stills and serves to quiet 
conscience." Now it is very dangerous to 
quiet conscience with any thing but the blood 
of Christ : it is bad being at peace, till Christ 
speaks peace : Nothing can truly pacify 
conscience less than that which pacifies Grod^ 
and that is the blood of the Lord Christ, 
Now the almost christian quiets conscience, 
but not with the blood of Christ : it is not a 
peace flowing from Christ's propitiation, but 
a peace rising from a formal profession ; not 
a peace of Christ's giving, but a peace of his 
own making ; he silences and bridles con~ 
science with a form of godliness, and so 
makes it give way to an undoing, soul des- 
troying peace ; he rocks it asleep in the cra^ 
die of duties, and then it is a thousand to one 
it never awaketh more till death or judgment. 

Ah, my brethren, it is better to have con- 
science never quiet, than quieted any w T ay but 
hy the blood of sprinkling : A good conscience 
unquiet, is the greatest affliction to saints, and 
an evil conscience quiet, is the greatest judg- 
ment to sinners. 

5. "It is dangerous to be almost a chris- 
tian, in respect of the unpardonable sin;"' 



TJie Almost Christian. 19 1 

The sin that the scripture saith, u can never 
be forgiven, neither in this world nor in the 
world to come* ;" I mean the sin against 
the Holy Ghost : Now such are only capable 
of sinning that sin as are but almost ehris- 
tians, 

A true believer cannot : the work of grace 
in his heaYt, " that seed of God abiding in 
him/ secures him against it. \ 

The profane, ignorant, open sinner can- 
not ; tho' he lives daily and hourly in sin, yet 
he cannot commit this sin, for it must be from 
an enlightened mind : every sinner, under 
the gospel especially, sins sadly against the 
HolyGhost, against the strivings and motions 
of the Spirit ; he " resists the Holy Ghost} 
but yet this is not the sin against the Holy 
Ghost. 

There must be three ingredients to make 
up that sin. 

1. It must be wilful : " if we sin wilfully 
after we have received the knowledge of the 
truth, there remains no more sacrifice for 
sin||." 

2. It must be against light and convic- 
tions, after we have received the knowledge 
of the truth," 

3. It must be in resolved malice : Now you 
shall find all these ingredients in the sin of 
the Pharisees, Matt. xii. 22. Christ heals 
one that was " possessed with a devil," a 

*Matt. xii. 32. f 1 John iii. 9, compared "with chap. v. 16, IT, 18- 
*Acts ?ii, 51, i Heb. x, 26*. 



19S The Almost Christian. 

great work which all the people wondered 
at, verse 23. But what say the Pharisees ? 
see verse 34. " This fellow casteth out dev- 
ils by the prince of devils." Now that this 
was the s n against the Holy Ghost is clear, 
for it was both wilful and malicio us, and al 
gainst clear convictions : They could not 
but see that he was the Son of God, and that 
this work was a peculiar work of the Spirit 
of God in him, and yet they say he wrought by 
the devil ; whereupon Christ charges them 
with this "sin against the Holy Ghost, 5 ' 
verse 31, 33,33*. Now the Pharisees were 
a sort of great professors ; whence I gath- 
er this conclusion, that it is the professor of re- 
ligion that is the subject of this sin : not the 
open carnal sinner, not the true believer, but 
the formal professor. 

Not the sinner, for he hath neither light 
nor grace ; not the believer, for he hath both 
light and grace ; therefore the formal pro- 
fessor, for he hath light but no grace. Here 
then is the great danger of being almost a 
christian, he is liable to this dreadful, unpar- 
donable sin. 

6. " This being but almost sl christian, 
subjects us to apostacy ;■*? He that gets no 
good by walking in the ways of God, wilt 
quickly leave them, and walk no more in 
them : This I gather from Hosea xiv '9. 
" Who is wise, and he shall understandthese 
things ? prudent, and he shall know them ? 
for the ways of the Lord are right, and the 

* Compare this with Mark iii. 23, 29, 3*. 



The Almost Christian, 193 

just shall walk in them, but the trangressor§ 
shall fall therein." 

The just shall walJc in them • ] he whose 
heart is renewed and made right with God, 
he shall keep close to God in his ways* 

But the transgressor shall fall therein;'] the 
word iu the Hebrew is peshangim, from a word 
that signifies to prevaricate : So that we may 
read the words thus, " the ways of the Lord 
are right, and the just shall walk in them ; 
but he that prevaricates, that is, an hypocrite 
in the ways of God, he shall fall therein." 

An unsound heart will never hold out long 
in the ways of God ; u he was a burning and 
a shining light, and ye were willing for a sea- 
son to rejoice in that light."* 

For a season.] for an hour, a short space, 

and then thev left him : It is a notable aues- 

«/ * 

tion Job puts concerning the hypocrite, ** Will 
he delight himself in the Almighty ? Will he 
always call upon God ? v f 

He may do much, but these two things he 
cannot do, 

1. He cannot make God his delight. 

2. He cannot persevere in duties at all 
limes, and in all conditions. 

He will be an apostate at last : The scab of 
hypocrisy usually breaks out in the plague- 
sore of apostacy : Conversion ground is stand* 
ing ground, it is terra firma ; but a graceless 
profession of religion is a slippery ground, 
a>xd falling gi*ound, Julian the apostate was 

■•John s* 35, jJob xxvii. 10, 

B 



19* The Almost Christian. 

first Julian the professor. I know it is possi- 
ble a believer may fall, but yet " he rises a- 
gain,* the everlasting arms are underneath ;"f 
but when the hypocrite falls who shall help 
him up ? 

Solomon saith, " Wo to him that is alone 
when he falls," that is, without interest in 
Christ : Why wo to him ? " For he hath 
none to help him up."i If Jesus Christ do 
not recover him, who can ? David fell and 
was restored, for he had one to help him 
up ; but Judas fell and perished, for he was 
alone. 

7- u This being but almost a christian, pro- 
vokes God to bring dreadful spiritual judg- 
ments upon a man." 

Barrenness is a spiritual judgment : Now 
this provokes God to give us up to barren- 
ness : when Christ found the fig-tree that had 
leaves, but no fruit, he pronounces the curse 
of barrenness upon it : " Never fruit grow on 
ihee more :"|| And so Ezek, xlvii. 1 1, " The 
miry places thereof, and the marshy places 
thereof, shall not be healed, they shall be giv,- 
en to salt." 

A spirit of delusion is a sad judgment j why 
this is the almost christian s judgment : that 
receives the truth but not in the love of it ; 
U Because they received not the love of the 
truth that they might be saved, for this cause 
God shall send them strong delusions. "& 

* Prov. xxiv. 26. f Deui. xxxiii. 27. 

4 Eccl. iv. 10. H Matt xxi. 19. 

$ 9 The* il 10, 11, 12. 



The Almost Christian. 19£ 

« To lose either light or sight, either ordi- 
nances or eyes," is a great spiritual judgment : 
Why, this is the almost christian s judgment :'* 
He that profits not under the means, pro- 
vokes God to take away either light or sight ; 
either the ordinances from before his eyes, 
or else to blind his eyes under the ordinan- 
ces. 

To have a hard heart is a dreadful judg- 
ment, and there is no hypocrite but he hath a 
hard heart. 

My brethren, it is a dreadful thing for God 
to give a man up to spiritual judgments. 

Now this being almost a christian provokes 
God to give a man up to spiritual judgments ; 
surely, therefore, it is a very dangerous thing 
to be almost a christian. 

8. " Being almost and but almost christians^ 
will exceedingly aggravate our damnation ;" 
the higher a man rises under the means, the 
lower be falls if he miscarries ; he that falls 
but a little short of Heaven, will fall deepest 
into Hell ; he that hath been nearest to con- 
version, being not converted, shall have the 
deepest damnation when he is judged. Ca- 
pernaum s sentence! shall exceed Sodom's for 
severity, because she exceeded Sodom in the 
enjoyment of mercy : she received more from 
God, she knew more of God, she professed 
much for God, and vet was not ris:ht with 
God, therefore she shall be punished more by 
God, The higher the rise, the greater the 

♦Luke xix. 42, fMatt. xi. 23, U. 



196 Tfie Almost Christian. 

fall ; the higher the professsion, the lower 
the damnation ; lie miscarrieth with a light 
. in his hand, he perisheth under many convic- 
tions, and convictions never end but in a sound 
conversion, as in all saints, or in a sad dam- 
nation, as in all hypocrites : Praying ground, 
hearing ground, professing ground, and con- 
viction ground, is, of all, the worst ground to 
perish upon. 

Now then to sum up all under this head, 

" If to be almost a christian hinders the 
true work of conversion : if it be easily mis- 
taken for conversion ; if it be a degree of blas- 
phemy ; if this be that which quiets con- 
science ; if this subjects a man to commit the 
unpardonable sin ; if it lays us liable to apos- 
tacy : if it provokes God to give us up to spir- 
itual judgments ; and if it be that wliich ex~ 
ceedingly aggravates our damnation f sure 
then it is a very dangerous thing to be almost 
and but almost a christian. 

O labour to be altogether christians, to go 
farther than they who have gone farthest, and 
yet fall short ! This is the great counsel of 
the Holv Ghost, a so run that ye may obtain,"* 
" Give diligence to make your calling and e~ 
lection sure/'f 

Need you any motives to quicken you up to 
this important duty ? 

Consideration 1. " This is that which is 
not only oommanded of God, but that where- 
unto all the commands of God tend :" A per 

*t'€or.bfr2* f* %Pct '• '* 



The Almost Christian, 197 

feet conformity of heart and life to God, ig 
the sum and substance of all the commands 
both of the Old and New Testament. As the 
harlot was for the dividing of the child,* so 
Satan is for dividing the heart ; he would 
have our love and affections shared between 
Christ and our lusts, for he knows that Christ 
reckons we love him not at all, unless we 
love him above all : But God will have all or 
none. " My son, give me thy heart.f Thou 
shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy 
heart, with all thy soul ; and with all thy 
might."} 

Look into the scripture, and see What that 
is upon which your only stands, § and you 
shall find that God hath fixed it upon those 
great duties which alone tend to the perfec- 
tion of your state as christians. God hath 
fixed your only upon believing ; only believe. f| 
God hath fixed your only upon obedience ; 
" Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and 
him only shalt thou served Only let your 
conversation be as becometh the gospel of 
Christ/ (a) So that your only is fixed by 
God upon those two great duties of believing 
and obeying : both which tend to the perfec- 
tion of your state as christians. 

Now shall God command, and shall not 
we obey ? Can there be a higher motive ta 
duty than the authority of the great God 
whose will is the eternal rule of righteous- 

• 2Kingsiii. 16, 26. f Prov. xxiii. 26. ^Deu. vi. 5. 
$ Luke x.. 27- ||Matt. v.- 36. fi Matt. iv. la (a) Phil, i.2?, 

R 3, 



198 The Almost Christian. 

ness ? O let us fear " God, and keep his 
commandments," for this is the whole duty of 
man ; 

Consideration 2. u The Lord Christ is a 
Saviour throughout, a perfect and complete 
Mediator f : He hath not shed his blood by 
halves, nor satisfied the justice of God, and 
redeemed sinners by halves ; no, but he went 
through with his undertaking, he bore all our 
sins, and shed all his blood ; he died to the 
utmost, satisfied the justice of God to the ut- 
most, redeemed sinners to the utmost, and 
now that he is in heaven, he interceedeth to 
the utmost, and " is able to save to the ut- 
most *.» 

It is observed, that our Lord Christ, when 
he was upon the earth, in the days of his 
flesh, he wrought no half eures ; but whom- 
soever they brought to him for 
healing, he healed them throughout ; "They 
brought unto him all that were diseased, and 
besought him that they might only touch the 
hem of his garment, and as many as touched! 
were made perfectly whole*\f 

O what an excellent physician is here x 
none like him ; he cureth infallibly, sudden- 
ly, and perfectly. 

He cureth infallibly : none ever came to 
him for healing that went away without it ; 
he never practised upon any that miscarried 
under his hand. 

He cureth suddenly ; no sooner is his gar 

* Htlb. vii. 25. f Matt. xiv, 35,. 36, 



Tlie Almost Christian. im 

ment touched, but his patient is healed. The 
Leper, Matt. viiL 3. is no sooner touched, 
but immediately cured ; the two blind men, 
Matt.xx.are.no sooner touched, but their 
eyes are immediately opened, ver. 3<i *; 

He cureth perfectly ; " As many as were 
touched, were made perfectly whole f. ;J 

Now all this was to shew what a perfect 
and complete Saviour Jesus Christ would be 
to all sinners that would come to him. They 
should find healing in his blood, virtue in his 
righteousness, and pardon for all their sins, 
whatever they were ; look, as Christ healed 
all the diseases of all that came to him when 
he was on earth, so he pardons all the sins, 
and healeth all the wounds of all those souls 
that come to him now he is in heaven. 

He is a Saviour throughout, and shall not 
we be saints throughout? Shall he be alto- 
gether a Redeemer, and shall not we be alto- 
tegher Believers ? O what a shame is this ? 

Consideration 3. u There is enough in 
religion to engage us to be altogether chris- 
tians 9 : and that whether we respect profit or 
comfort, for grace brings both. 

First, " Religion is a gainful thing : * and 
this is a compelling motive, that becomes ef- 
fectual upon all. Gain is the God whom- the 
world worships : what will not men do, what 
will they not suffer for gain ? What journies 
do men take by land, what voyages by sea, 

*Mark i. Si. and ii. it: Luke ml U 
fMatt.Eiv. 35, 



&00 TJie Almost Christian. 

through hot and cold, through fair and foul, 
through storm and shine, through day and 
night, and all for gain. 

Now there is no calling so gainful as this 
of religion ; it is the most profitable employ- 
ment we can take up. Godliness is profita- 
ble unto all things. *'' It is " a great reve- 
nue ;" I£ it be closely followed, it brings in 
the greatest income : Indeed some men are 
religious for the world's sake, such shall be 
sure not to gain : but they who are religious 
for religion's sake, shall be sure not to lose, 
if Heaven and earth can recompense them : 
for Godliness hath the promise both of the life 
that now i>, and that which is to come. 

Ah, who would not be a christian, when 
Ihe gain of Godliness is so great ! Many gain 
much in their worldly calling, but the profit 
which the true believer hath from one hour's 
communion with God in Christ, weigheth 
down all the gain of the world ; cursed be 
that man who counts all the gain of the world 
worth one hour's communion with Jesus 
Christ, said that noble Marquis Galeacias 
Caracciola. It is no where said in scripture, 
" Happy is the man that findeth silver, and 
the man that getteth fine gold" ; These are 
of no weight in the balance of the sanctuary : 
but it is said, " Happy is the man that find- 
eth wisdom, and the man that getteth under- 
standing ; for the merchandize of it is better 
than the merchandise of silver, and the gam 
thereof than fine gold>"f 

* 1 Tixn.ir. X. \ Fror. iii. 13* U-- 



The Almost Christian, aoi 

By wisdom and understanding here, we 
are to understand the grace of Christ, and so 
the Spirit of God interpreteth it. '• Behold 
the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom ; and to 
depart from evil is understanding. *» 

Now. of all merchants, he that trades in 
this wisdom and understanding, will prove 
the richest man ; one grain of godliness out- 
weigheth all the gold of Ophir ; There is no 
riches like being rich in grace : for, 

1. This is the most necessary riches, other 
things are not so ; silver and g&ld are not so : 
we may be, and be happy vftthout them : 
There is but one thins: necessary, and that is 
the grace of Jesus Christ in the heart : Have 
this, and have ail ; want this, and want all. 

2. It is the most substantial gain ; the 
things of this world are more shadow than 
substance ;f pleasure, honour and profit, coin- 
prehend all tilings in this world, and there- 
fore are the carnal man's trinity. 

The apostle John calls them, u the lust of 
the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride 
of life i this (siith he) is all that is in the 
world y-% and truly, ^f this be all, all is noth- 
ing ; for what is pleasure but a dream and 
conceit? what is honour, but fancy and opin- 
ion ? and what is profit but a thing of nought ? 
" Why wilt thou set thine eyes upon that 
which is not ?"$ The things of the world 
have in them no solid substance, tho* foolish 
carnal men call them substance. 

*Job xxviii. 18, fLukexvi.lt 

*1 John ii, 19, §Prov. xxiiL 5. 



|0S The Almost Christian. 

But now grace is a substantial good ; sc- 
our Lord Christ calls it ; " that 1 may cause 
those that love me to inherit substance,* to 
inherit that which is." Grace is a reality, 
other things are but shew and fancy. 

3. Godliness is the safest gain ; r? the gain 
of worldly things is always with difficulty, but 
seldom with safety : The soul is often hazard- 
ed in the over-eager pursuit of worldly things ; 
nay, thousands do pawn and lose, and damn 
their precious souls eternally for a little silver 
and gold, which are but the guts and garbage 
of the earth ;*** and what is a man profitted 
to gain the whole world if he lose his own 
soul ?"f 

But the gain of godliness is ever with safe- 
ty to the soul ; nay, the soul is lost and un- 
done without it, and not saved but by the at- 
tainment of it ; a soul without grace is in a 
lost and perishing condition ; the hazard of 
eternity is never over with us. until the grace 
, of Christ Jesus J be sought by us, and wrought 
in us. 

4. " Godliness is the surest profit ;" as it 
is safe, so it is sure ; men make great ventures 
for the world, but all runs upon uncertainties ; 
many venture much, and wait long, and yet 
find no return but disappointment ; they sow 
much, and yet reap nothing. 

But the gain of godliness is sure : " to him 
that soweth righteousness shall be a sure re^ 
w r ard,"§ 

*Prov. viii. 21 . f Mark vi. 26. 

$TUa- vi 17. §PrGY. xi, 18. 



The Almost Christian. S08 

And as the things of this world are un- 
certain in the getting ; so they are uncertain 
in the keeping. 

If men do not undo us, moths may ; if rob- 
bery doth not, rust may : if rust doth not, fire 
may ; to which all earthly pleasures are in- 
cident, as our Lord Christ teacheth us. Matt. 
vi. i 9. Solomon limneth the world with wings .$ 
4i riches make themselves wings, and fly as an 
eagle towards heaven *J* A man may be 
rich as Dives to-day, and yetpoor as Laza- 
rus to-morrow ; O how uncertain are all 
worldly things ! 

But now the true treasure of grace in the 
heart, that can never be lost : It is out of the 
reach of both rust and robber : " He that gets 
the world, gets a good he can never keep ; 
but he that gets grace, gets a good he shall 
never lose." 

5. "The profit of godliness lieth not only 
in this world, but in the world to comef ;" 
All other profit lieth in this world only, rich 
es and honours &c. are called this world's 
goods, but the riches of godliness is chiefly in 
the other world's goods, in the enjoyment of 
God and Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit, 
among saints and angels in glory : Lo, this is 
the gain of godliness 5 " such honour have all 
his saints % " 

6. " The gain of godliness is a durable 
and eternal gain ;" All this world's goods 

*FroY, xxiii. 5. f 1 Tira « *▼• f • WgIuv iii, IT, 



304 The Almost Christian. 

are perishing : perishing pleasures, perish- 
ing honours, perishing profits and perishing 
comforts ; "riches are not for ever, ? saith 
Job* ; " Hast thou entered into the treasures 
of the snow?'' Gregory upon these words 
observes, that earthly treasures are treasures 
of snow ; What pains do children take to 
scrape and roll the snow together to make a 
snow-ball which is no sooner done, but the 
heat of the sun dissolves it, and it comes to 
nothing ? Why the treasuaes of worldly 
men are but tf^asures of snow : When death 
and judgment come, they melt away and 
come to nothing. " Riches profit not in 
the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers 
from death f ." 

You see here the great advantages of god- 
liness ; so that if we look at profit, we shall 
find enough in religion to engage us to be 
altogether christians. Or, 

2. " If we look at comfort/' "Religion is 
the most comfortable profession ; there are no 
comforts to be compared to the comforts of 
grace and godliness. 

1. " Worldly comfort is only outward," it 
is but skin deep ; " In the midst of laughter 
the heart is sorrowful^." But now the com- 
fort that flows from Godliness is an inward 
comfort, a spiritual joy : therefore it is called 
gladness of heart. " Thou hast put glad- 
ness in my heart % m >9 Other joys smooth iht 
brow, but this fills the breast. 

*Job. xxxviii. £2. fProv. xi. I* 

*ProY. xiv. IS. flPaal. »y. 7, 



The J&lmoit Christian, ^t)5 

3. u Worldly comfort hath a nether 
spring ;" the spring of Worldly comfort is in 
the creature, in some earthly enjoyment ; and 
therefore the comfort of worldly men must 
needs be mixed and muddy ; u an unclean 
fountain cannot send forth pure water*. But 
spiritual comfort hath an upper spring ; the 
comfort that accompanies godliness, flows 
from the manifestations of the love of God in 
Christ, from the workings of the blessed 
Spirit in the heart, which is first a counsel- 
lor and then & comforter: And therefore the 
comforts of the saints must needs be pure and 
unmixed comforts, for they flow from a pure 
spring. 

3. *f Worldly comfort is very fading and 
transitory : ? "The triumphing of the wicked 
is but short, and the joy of the hypocrite is 
but for a moment y\ J) Solomon compares it 
to the crokling of thorns under a pot,\ 
which is but a blaze, and soon out : so is the 
comfort of carnal hearts : But now the com* 
fort of godliness is a durable and abiding 
comfort, fci your heart shall rejoice, and your 
joy no man shall take from you/'jj 

The comfort of godliness is lasting, and 
eyerlasting ; it abides by us in life, in death, 
and after death. 

First. " It abides by us in life : grace and 
peace go together ; Godliness brings forth 
comfort and peace naturally : " the effect of 

* James iii. II, -fjob x*. 5. 

$ Eecl. vii. 6. : John «ri 22= 

s 



20Q TJw Mmosi Christian. 

righteousness shall be peace* |*" It is said of 
the primitive christians, " they walked in the 
fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the 
Holy Ghost f." Every duty done in up- 
rightness and sincerity, reflects some comfort 
upon the soul : " In keeping the commands 
there is great reward J:' not only for keep- 
ing of them, but in keeping of them ; as every 
flower, so every duty carries sweetness and 
refreshing with it. 

Objection. " But who more dejected and 
disconsolate than saints and believers : whose 
lives are more uncomfortable ? whose mouths 
are more filled with complaints than theirs ? 
If a condition of godliness and Christianity 
be a condition of so'much comfort, then why 
are they thus ?* ? 

Solution. That the people of God are of- 
tentimes without comfort, that I grant ; "they 
may walk in the dark, and have no light ";l| 
But this is none of the product of Godliness $ 
grace brings forth no such fruit as this, there 
is a threefold rise and spring of it. 

Sin within ; desertion and temptation 
without. 

1. Sift within ; the saints of God are not all 
spirit and no flesh, all grace and no sin : they 
are made up of contrary principles; there is 
light and darkness in the same mine, sin and 
grace in the same wiH', carnal and spiritual 
in the same affections ; there is the flesh lust- 

* Phil. i. % Col. I Sllsa. xxxii. IT. f Acts «• $*« 

iPsaLxiXc'lJ, Jllsa.l. 10. 



The Almost Christian. 20/ 

ing against the spirit * ; In all these, and 
too oft the Lord knows, is the believer led a- 
way captive by these warring lasts ; so was 
the holy apostle himself : " I find then a law, 
that when I would do good evil is present 
with nie.f I see another law in my members, 
warring against the law of my mind, and 
bringing me into captivity to the law of sin J '; 
and this was that which broke his spiritual 
peace, and filled his soul with trouble and 
complaints, as you see, ver. 24*. " O wretch- 
ed, man that I am, who shall deliver me from 
this body of death ? ' ' 

So that it is sin that interrupts the peace of 
God's people : in-dwelling lust stirring and 
breaking forth, must needs cause trouble and 
grief in the soul of a believer : for it is as na- 
tural for sin to bring forth trouble, as it is for 
grace to bring forth peace : every sin contracts 
a new guilt upon the soul, and guilt provokes 
God ; and where there is a sense of guilt con- 
tracted, and God provoked, there can be no 
peace, no quiet in that soul, till faith procures 
fresh sprinklings of the blood of Jesus Christ 
upon the conscience. 

2. '• Another spring of the believer's trou- 
ble and disconsolateness of spirit, is the deser- 
tions of God ;" ar\d this follows upon the for- 
mer : God doth sometimes disappear, and 
hide himself from his people : u Verily thou 
art a God that hidest thyselfj|." But the 

*GaI. v. 7. fHom. vii. 2l. 

± Verse %S. '! Fsal. xiii. 1. Isa. sir. 15- 



308 The Mmsst Christian. 

cause of Gods hiding, is the believer*s sinning, 
" Your iniquities have separted between you 
and your God, and your sins have hid his 
face from you."* In heaven, where there is 
no sinning, there is no losing the light of God's 
countenance for a moment : and if saints here 
could serve God without corruption, they 
should enjoy God without desertion i but this 
connotbe : while we are in this state, remain- 
ing lusts will stir and break forth, and then 
God will hide his face : and this must needs 
be trouble ; " Thou didst hide thy face, and 
I was troubled. >f 

The light of God's countenance shining up- 
on the soul, is the christian's heaven on this 
side heaven, and therefore it is no wonder if 
the hiding of his face be looked upon by the 
soul, as one of the days of hell : so it was by 
David, " the sorrows of death compass me, 
the pains of hell gat hold upon me, I found 
trouble and sorrow.' * 

3. " A third spring of that trouble and 
complaint that brims the banks of the chris- 
tian's spirit is the temptations of Satan V\ 
he is the great enemy of saints and he envi- 
ethihe quiet and comfort that their hearts are 
filled with, when his conscience is brimmed 
with horror and terror : and therefore, though 
lie knows he cannot destroy their peace, yet 
he labours to disturb their peace. As the 
blessed spirit of God is first a sanctifier, and 

* Isa. Vix. 2. f Psalm xxx, 7. 

i ftairo'cxvL % i Matt xiii. «p. 



The Almost Christian. 309 

then a comforter, "working grace in order to 
peace : so this cursed spirit of hell is first a 
tempter ', and then a troubler , first persuading 
to act sin, and then accusing for sin ; and this 
is his constant practice upon the spirits of 
God's people ; he cannot endure that they 
should live in the light of God's countenance^ 
when himself is doomed to eternal, untolera-p 
hie darkness. 

And thus ycu see whence it is that the peo- 
ple of God are often under .trouble and com- 
plaint; all arises from these three springs of 
Sin within, desertions and temptations with- 
out. 

If the sarin ts could serve God without sin- 
ning, and enjoy God without withdrawing, 
and resist Satan without yielding, they might 
enjoy peace and comfort without sorrowing ; 
This must be endeavored constantly here, 
but it will never be attained fully, but in hea* 
ven. 

But yet so far as grace is the prevailing 
principle in the heart, and so far as the pow- 
er of godliness is exercised in the life, so far 
the condition of a child of God is a condition 
of peace : for it is an undoubted truth, that 
the fruit of righteousness shall be peace : 
But suppose the people of God experience 
little of this comfort in this life ; yet, 

3. -"They find it in the day of death;"' 
grace and holiness will minister unto us then^ 
and that ministration will be peace ; a believ- 
er hath a twofold spring of comfort, each: 

S-S ;; 



210 The MmosV Christian, 

one emptying itself into his soul in a dying; 
season ; one is from above him, the other is 
from within him ; The spring that runs com 
fort from above him, is the blood of Christ 
sprinkled upon the conscience; the spring 
that runs comfort from within him, is the sin- 
cerity of his heart in God's service ; when we 
lie upon a death bed, and can reflect upon 
©ur principles and performances in the ser 
vice of Gt>d, and there find uprightness and 
sincerity of heart running through all, this 
must needs be comfort ; it was so to Hezeki- 
ah ; " remember, O Lord, how I have walk- 
ed before thee in truth, and with a perfect 
heart ; and have done that which is good in 
thy sight. ** 

Nothing maketh a death bed so uneasy 
and hard, as a life spent in the service of sin 
and lust ; nothing makes a death bed so soft 
and sweet, as a life spent in the service of 
God and Christ, Or put the case, the peo- 
ple of God should not meet with this comfort 
then/yet r 

3. " They shall be sure to find it after 
death g? if time bring none of this fruit to 
ripeness, why yet eternity shall ; grace in 
time will be glory in eternity / holiness now, 
will be happiness then ,• " whatever it is a 
man soweth in this world,, that he shall be 
sure to reap in the next world f : " He that 
soweth to the flesh shall of the fiesh reap 
corruption ; but he that soweth to the spirit^ 

* Issuxxxvili. t\ "3Lv ; 7 



The Almost Christian. £1£ 

ahallofthe spirit reap life everlasting.-'* 
When sin shall end in sorrow and misery, 
holiness shall end in joy and glory ; Well 
done thou good and faithful servant, enter 
thou into the joy of thy Lordf, Whoever 
shareth in the grace of C2r*ist in this world, 
shall share in the joys of Christ in the world 
to come ; and that joy is joy unspeakable, and 
full of glory J; Lo, here is the fruit of godlL 
ness ; say now, if there be not enough in re- 
ligion, whether we respect profit or comfort, 
to engage us to be christians throughout ? 

Consideration 4. u What an entire resis:- 
nation wicked men make of themselves to 
their lusts ! and shall not we do so to the 
Lord Christ V* They give up themselves 
without reserve to the pleasures of sin, and 
shall we have our reserves in the service of 
God? They are altogether sinners, and shall 
not we be altogether Saints ? They run, 
and faint not in the service of their lusts : and 
shall we faint and not run, in the service of 
Christ ? Shall the servants of corruption 
have their ears bored to the door-posts of sin$ 
in token of an entire and perpetual service, 
and shall we not give up ourselves to the 
Lord Christ, to be his for ever ? Shall oth- 
ers make a " covenant with hell and death" || 
and shall not we '»' join ourselves to God in 
an everlasting covenant that cannot be for- 
gotten ?"lf Shall they take more pains to 

* Gal. yi. 8. Rom. vl 2& f Matt xxv. 23. 

UPet, L 1& §Exo>zxi. C xxviii.ir. *Jer I 5, 



% I g The Almost Christian. 

damn their souls, than we do to save oars ? 
and make more speed to a place of ven- 
geance^ than we do to a crown of righteous- 
ness ?* 

Which do you judge best, to be saved ev- 
erlastingly, or to perish everlastingly ? which 
do you count the best master, God or the de- 
vil ? Christ or your lusts ? I know you will 
determine it on Christ's side : O then ! when 
others serve their lusts with all their hearts, 
do you serve Christ with all your hearts, v f 
"if the hearts of the sons of men be fully set 
in them to do evil," J then much more let the 
hearts of the sons of God be fully set in them 
to do good, 

Consideration 5. " If ye be not altogeth- 
er christians, ye will never be able to appear 
with comfort before God, nor to stand in the 
judgment of the last and great day ?" For 
this sad dilemma will silence every hypocrite ; 
If my commands were not holy, just and good 
why didst thou own them ? If they were 
holy, just and good, why dost thou not obey 
them? If Jesus Christ was not worth the 
having, why didst thou profess him ? If he 
was, then why didst thou not cleave to him, 
and close with him ? If my ordinances were 
not appointed to convert and save souls, why 
didst thou sit under them, and rest in the 
performance of them ? Or if they were, then 
why didst thou not submit to th6 power of 

*2Tim. i7. 8. « f EccI, viH*5 ? 

4 Jer. iii. Si 



Tlie Almost Christian. 513 

them ? If religion be not good, why dost 
thou profess it? If it be good, why dost 
thou not practise it ? " Friend, how earnest 
thou in hither, not having on a wedding gar- 
ment * w ? If it was not a wedding feast, 
why didst thou come at the invitation ! If it 
was, then why didst thou come without a 
wedding garment. 

I would but ask an hypocritical professor 
of the gospel, what he will answer in that 
day. Verily you deprive yourselves of all 
possibility of apology in the day of the right- 
eous judgment of God : It is said of the man 
that had no wedding garment on, that when 
Christ came and examined him he was speech- 
less ; he that is graceless in a day of grace, 
will be speechless in a day of judgment ; pro- 
fessing Christ without a heart to close with 
Christ, will leave our souls inexcusable, and 
make our " damnation unavoidable and m^re 
intolerable." f 

These are the motives to enforce the duty j 
and O that God would set them home uj) f :n 
your hearts and consciences, that you might not 
dare to rest a moment longer in a half work, 
or in being christians within a little, but that 
you might be altogether christians ? 

Question. " But you will say possibly, how 
shall I do ? what means shall I use, that I 
may attain to a thorough work in my heart ; 
that I may be no longer almost but altogether 
a christian ?" 

Rtfatt, xxii 15. f Matt, xl 2%, 



U4i The Almost Christian, 

&nsiver. Now I shall lay down three rules 
of direction instead of many, to further and 
help you in this important duty, and so leave 
this work to God's blessing. 

Direction 1. First, " break off all false 
peace of conscience •" this is the BeviPs bond 
to hold the soul from seeking after Christ. . As 
there is the peace of God, so there is the 
peace of Satan : but they are easily known, 
for they are as contrary as Heaven and Hell^ 
as light and darkness. 

The peace of God flows from a work of 
grace in the soul, as is the peace of a regen- 
erate state ; but the peace of Satan is the 
peace of an unregenerate state^ it is the peace 
of death ; in the grave Job saith there is peace ; 
" there the wicked cease from troubling ;' 5 so 
a soul dead in sin is fall of peace, the wicked 
one troubleth him not. 

The peace of God in the soul is a peace 
flowing from removal of guilt, by justifying 
grace ; u Being justified by faith in his blood, 
we have peace with God ;" but the peace of 
Satan in the soul arises and is maintained by 
a stupidity of spirit, and insensibility of guilt 
upon the conscience. 

The peace of God is a peace from sin, that 
fortifies the heart against it : " The peace of 
God that passeth all men's understanding, 
shall keep your hearts and minds through 
Christ Jesu-s."* The more of this peace there 
Is in the soul, the more is the soul fortified a- 

*PhiUv.7; 



The Almost Christian* _ 215 

gainst sin ; but the peace of Satan is peace 
In sin : u The strong man armed keeps the 
house^ an 1 there is all at peace."* The. saint's 
peace is a peace with God, but not with sin 5 
the sinners peace is a peace with sin ; but 
not with God^ and this is a peace better bro- 
ken than kept : It is a false, a dangerous, an 
undoing peace ; my brethren, "death and 
judgment will break all peace of conscience, ? 
but oniv that which is wrought by Christ in 
the soul, and is the fruit of the blood of 
sprinkling ; when he gives quietness, who 
can make trouble f ' ? Now that peace that 
death will break, why should you keep ? 
Who would be fond of that quietness which 
the flames of hell will burn in sunder ? and 
jet .how many travel to hell thro' the fooPs 
paradise of a false peace ! 

O break off this peace ! for we can have no 
peace with God in Christ, whilst this peace 
remains in our hearts ; The Lord Christ gives 
no peace to them that will not seek it, 
and that man will never seek it that 
does not see his need of it ; and he that is at 
peace in his lusts, sees no need of the peace 
of Christ. The sinner must be wounded for 
sin, and troubled under it, before Christ will 
heal his wounds, and give him peace from it. 

Direction 2. 4i Labour after thorough 
work of conviction :" every conviction will 
not do it : The almost -christian hath his con- 
victions as well as the true christian, or else 
he had never gone so far ; but they are not 

*Luke xi. 21, fjob xxxiv. %3, 



&18 The Mmost Christian. 

sound and right convictions, or else he had 
gone farther ; God will have the soul truly 
sensible of the bitterness of sin, before it shall 
taste the sweetness of mercy. The plow of 
conviction must go deep, and make deep fur- 
rows in the heart, before God will sow the 
precious seeds of grace, and comfort there, 
that so it may have depth of earth to grow in. 
This is the constant method of God ; first to 
shew a man his sin, then his Saviour; first 
his danger,then hisRedeemer; first his wound, 
then his cure; first hisownvileness,thenChrist's 
righteousness, We must be brought to cry 
out, " Unclean, unclean, to mourn for him 
whom we have pierced," and then he sets o~ 
pen for us a " fountain to wash in for sin, and 
for uncleanness.' * That is a notable place. 
Job xxxiii. 17, 28, " He looked upon men, 
and if any say, I have sinned and perverted 
that which was right, and it profited me not : 
he will deliver his soul from going down into 
the pit, and his life shall see the light ?/ the 
sinner must see the unprofitableness of his un- 
righteousness, before he profit by Christ's 
righteousness. The Israelites are first stung 
with the fiery serpents, and then the brazen 
serpent is set up. Ephraim is first thorough 
ly convinced, and then God's bowels. of mer- 
cy work towards him. Thus it was with 
Paul, Manasseh, the Jailor, &c. So that this 
is the unchangeable method of God in work- 
ing grace, to begin with conviction of sin. 

*Zach* til 4 ult. verses, compared with Zach* aiii. I« 



. The Almost Christian. 217 

O therefore labor for thorough conviction ; 
and there are three things we should espe- 
cially be convinced of. 

First, " Be convinced of the evil of sin ;" 
the filthy and heinous nature of it : this is the 
greatest evil in the world ; it wrongs God, it 
wounds Christ, it grieves the Holy Spirit, it 
raineth a precious soul; all other evils are not 
to be named with this. My brethren, though 
tp do sin is the worst work, yet to see sin is 
the best sight ,• for sin discovered in its vile= 
ness, makes Christ to be desired in his full- 
ness. 

But above all, labor to be convinced of the 
mischief of an unsound heart ; what an ab- 
horring it is to God, what certain ruin it brings 
upon the soul. O think often upon the hyp- 
ocrite's hell, Matt. xiv. 15. 

Secondly, " Be convinced of the misery 
and desperate danger of a natural condition f 
for till we see the plague of our hearts, and 
the misery of our state by nature, we shall 
never be brought off ourselves to seek help in 
another. 

Thirdly, " Be convinced of the utter in- 
sufficiency and inability of any thing below 
Christ Jesus to minister relief to thy soul in 
this case :'> All things besides Jesus Christ 
are " physicians of no value * ; ' duties, per- 
formances, prayers, tears, self righteousness, 
avail nothing in this case ; they make us like 
the troops of Tema, to return "ashamed 

* Job. xiii. 4. 

T 



318 The Mmost Christian, 

at our disappointment from such failing 
brooks*. 1 

Alas ! it is an infinite righteousness that 
must satisfy for us, for it is an infinite God 
that is offended by us. If ever thy sin be 
pardoned, it is infinite mercy that must par- 
don it ; if ever thou be reconciled to God, it 
is infinite merit must do it : if ever thy heart 
be changed, and thy state renewed, it is in- 
finite power must effect it ; and if ever thy 
soul escape hell, and be saved at last, it is in- 
finite grace must save it. 

In these three things right and sound con- 
viction lieth ; and wherever the spirit of 
God worketh these thorough convictions, it is 
in order to a true and sound conversion ; for 
by this means the soul is brought under a 
right qualification for the receiving of Christ* 

You must know that a sinner, can never 
come to Christ ; for he is dead in sin, in en- 
mity against Christ, an enemy to God, and 
the grace of God ; but there are certain qual- 
ifications that come between the souls dead 
state in sin, and the work of conversion and 
closing with Christ, whereby the soul is put 
into a capacity of receiving the Lord Jesus 
Christ : for no man is brought immediately 
out of his dead state, and made to believe in 
Jesus Christ ; there are some qualifications 
coming in between : Now sound convictions 
are the right qualifications for the sinner's re- 
ceiving Christ ; " for became not to call the 

* Jo*, ti, 19c 



The Almost Christian, 219 

righteous, but sinners to repentance* ;" that 
is, such as see themselves sinners, and there- 
by in a lost condition ; so Luke exemplifies 
it, " The son of man is come to seek and to 
save that which was lost ; he is anointed, and 
sent to bind up the broken hearted, to com- 
fort all that mournf. 

O therefore, if you would be sound ehris- 
tions, get sound convictions ; ask those that 
are believers indeed, and they will tell you, 
had it not been for their convictions, they had 
never sought after Christ for sanctification 
and salvation ; they will tell you, they had 
perished, if they had not perished ; they had 
been in eternal bondage, but for their spiritu- 
al bondage : had they not been lost as to 
themselves, they had been utterly lost as to 
Christ. 

Direction *. £ Ssfg? ?S8* S» convictions 
till they end in conversion ;" this is that 
wherein most men miscarry, they rest in their 
convictions, and take them for conversion, as 
if sin seen were therefore forgiven, or as if a 
sight of the want of grace were the truth of 
the work of grace. 

That is a notable place in Hosea xiii. 13, 
u Ephraim is an unwise son, for he should 
not stay long in the place of the breaking forth 
of children." The place of the breaking forth 
of children is the womb : as the child comes 
out of the womb, so is conversion born out of 
(he womb of conviction 4 Now when the child 

♦Matt. ix. 1*, IS. fLuke ix. 10. Isa. lxi, \. 2, 



220 The Almost Christian. 

sticks between the womb and the world, it is 
dangerous, it hazards the life both of mother 
and child ; so when a sinner rests in convic- 
tion, and goes no farther, but sticks in the 
place of the breaking forth of children ; this 
is very dangerous, and hazards the life of the 
soul. 

You that are at any time under convictions, 
take heed of resting in them, do not stay 
long in the place of the breaking forth of 
children ,• though it is true, that conviction is 
the first step to conversion, yet it is not con- 
version ; a man may carry his convictions a- 
long with him into hell. 

What is that which iroubleth poor crea- 
tures, when they come to die, but this — I 
have not improved my conviction^ ; at such 
a time I was convinced of sin, but yet I went 
on in sin in the face of my convictions ,• in 
such a sermon I was convinced of such a du- 
ty, but I slighted the conviction ; I was con- 
vinced of my want of Christ, and of the rea- 
diness of Christ to pardon and save : but, a- 
las ! I followed not the conviction. 

My brethren, remember this ; slighted con- 
victions are the worst death bed companions. 
There are two things especially, which above 
all others, make a death bed very uncomfort- 
able : 

1, u Purposes and promises not performed. 

2. Convictions slighted and not improved ?" 
When a man takes up purposes to close 

with Christ, and yet puts them not into exe 



Th e Mmosi Christian \ 2U 

cution : and when he is convinced of sin and 
duty, and yet improves not his convictions : 
O this will sting and wound at last. 

Now therefore, hath the spirit of the Lord 
been at work in your souls ? Have you ever 
been convinced of the evil of sin, of the mise- 
ry of a natural state, of the insufficiency of all 
things under heaven to help, of the fullness 
and righteousness of Jesus Christ, of the ne- 
cessity of resting upon him for pardon and 
peace, for sanctification and salvation ? 
Have you ever been really convinced of these 
things ? O then, as you love your own souls, 
as ever you hope to be saved at last, and en- 
joy God for ever, improve these convictions, 
and be sure you rest not in them till they rise 
up to a thorough close with the Lord Jesus 
Christ, and so end in a sound and perfect 
conversion. Thus shall you be not only ah 
most, but altogether a christian. 



FINIS 



T8, 



CONTENTS, 



PAGE 

The scope of the chapter - -. 19 

The coherence of the text, - 20 

The sense and meaning of the words, 21 

The doctrine propounded, - 24 

Two things arise from it of serious meditation, 25 

Three things are premised, 26 
First, There is nothing in this doctrine should be 
matter of stumbling or discouragement to weak 

christians, 26 

There is great use of such doctrine as this is, 26 

1. To make them look to their standing, 26 

2. It helps to raise their admiration of distinguishing 

love, 26 

3. It incites to that excellent duty of heart-search- 

ing, 27 

4. It engages the soul to double diligence, 27 
Secondly it is premised, though many go far in the 

way to heaven, and yet fall short ; yet that soul 
that hath the least true grace shall never fall 
short, 27 

Thirdly, They that can bear such truths as this, with- 
out serious reflections, and self-examination, may 
suspect the goodness of their condition, 28 

The doctrine re-assumed and demonstrated by scrip- 
ture evidence, 29 

j. By the example of the young man in the gospel, 29 

2. Proof from the parable of the virgins, 30 

3. The demonstration from Isaiah Iviii. 2» 33- 
The text opened, 37 r 
For the more distinct prosecution of the point, is 

shewed^ 3? 

Quest. 1 . How far a man may go in the way to heav- 
en, and yet be bid almost a Christian ; this shewn 
in twenty several steps, 37 

Pirst. A man may have much knowledge and yet be 

but almost a Christian, 37 

Object. But is it not said, This is life eternal, to 
know the only true God, and Jesus Christ* whom 
than hast sent? Answered, 38 



CONTENTS, 223 

Secondly. A man may have great and eminent 
gifts ; yea, spiritual, and yet be but almost a 
christian, ■ 40 

1. Gifcs from the common work of the Spirit, 41 

2. Gifts for the use and good of others, 41 

3. It is beyond the pov e? of the greatest gifts to 

change the heart,. 43 

4- Many have gone latteo with gifts to hell, 43 

Three things must be (.\oiie for us if ever we avoid 

perishing, 44 

5. Gifts may decay and perish, 44 

Object. But doth not the apostle bid us covet after 
the best gifts I Why covet them earnestly, if 
they avail not to salvation ? Answered, 45 

Thirdly, A man may have a high profession of reli- 
gion, be much in external duties of godliness, 
and yet be but almost a christian, 46 

1. A man may profess religion, and yet never have 

his heiirt changed, 4? 

2. A man may profess religion, and live in a form of 

godliness. 48 

3. Cusiom and fashion may create a man a professor, 49 

4. Many may perish under a profession of godliness 
Object. But. is it not said, He that confesseth me be- 
fore men, him will I confess before my Father 
which is in Heaven ? Answered, 52 

Fourthly, A man may go far in opposing his sin, and 

yet be but almost a christian, 53 

1. A man may be convinced of sin, and yet be but 

almost a christian, 53 

2. A man may mourn for sin, 54 
Object. But doth not Christ pronounce them blessed 

that mourn ? Answered, 54 

2. It must be more for the evil that i& in sin, than the 

evil that comes by sin, 55 

3. A man may make confession of his sin to God, 

and to others, and yet be but almost a christian, 56 
Object. Doth not the Apostle say, If we confess 
our sins, he is merciful and just to forgive us 

our sins ? Answered, 56 

1. Many confess sin out of custom^ 56 

2. Many confess lesser sins, 5? 



224 CONTENTS, 

3. Many confess sin in general, 57 

4. Many confess sin only under extremity, 57 

5. Man}' confess sin, but with no intent to forsake it. 5& 

6. A man may forsake sin, and yet be but almost a 

christian, 58 

Object. But is it not said, He that confesseth and 

forsaketh, shall have mercy ? Answered, 59 

1. Open sins may be forsaken, when secret sins are 

retained, 59 

2. A man may forsake sin, but not as sin, 59 
i. A man may let one sin go to hold another the 

faster. 59 

ii A man may let all sin go, and yet a sinner still, 60 

3. Sin may be left, and yet loved, 60 
6. Sin may be chained, and yet the heart nof chang- 
ed, 60 

Fifthly, a man ma}' hate sin, and yet be but almost 

a christian, 61 

Objection, arising from Rom* Vif. 1 5. 62 

Answered, 62 

A mau may hate sin, 63 

1. For the shame that attends it, 63 

2. A man may hate sin more in another, than in 

himself, 63 

3. A man may hate one sin, as being contrary to an- 

other, 63 

4. Not hate sin as sin, but as contrary to his beloved 

sin, 64 

Sixthly, A man may make great vows and promise , 
strong purposes and resolutions against sin, a.-d 
yet be but an almost christian, ^ 

1. Purposes never hurt sin, 65 

2. Troubles and afflictions may provoke large pur- 

poses. 65 

3. Purposes may be only a temptation to put off re- 

pentance, 

4. Nature unsanctified may make great purposes, 67 
Seventhly, A man may maintain a strife and com- 
bat against sin in himself, and yet be but almost 

a christian, 68 

5. A man may desire grace, and yet be btitatrnosta 

christian? 



CONTENTS. 225- 

6. A man may tremble at the word of God, and yet 

be but an almost a christian, 74 

A twofold trembling, 74 

7. A man may delight in the word and ordinances, 

and yet be but an almost christian, 75 

Eighthly, a man may be a member of the church cf 

Christ, and yet be bid almost a christian, 1% 

Ninthly, A man may have great hopes cf heaven, 

and yet be but almost a christian, 78 

Tenthly, A man may be under visible changes, and 

yet be but almost a Christian, 8i 

A threefold change may be, when as yet the soul is 

not renewed, 83 

Eleventhly, A man may be very zealous in matters of 

religion, and yet be but almost a christian. 85 

Several kinds of zeal, none of them true and sound, 87 
Twelfthly, A man may be much in prayer, and yet 

be but almost a christian. 93 

What prayers speak a man an altogether ch:i3tian, 93 
What prayers speak a man an almost christian, 94 

Whether the stirring of the affections in prayer argues 

the truth of prayer, 97 

Thirteenthly, A man may suffer for Christ and yet be 

but almost a christian, 97 

"What suffering for Christ is a note cf sincerity, 93 

What suffering for Christ is (he suffering as a chris- 
tian, 98 
FourteenthJy, A man may be called of God and em- 
brace his call, and yet be but an almost chris- 
tian, 100 
Fifteenthly, A man may have the Spirit of God, 

and yet be but almost a christian, 102 

There is a having the Spirit which is a sure mark 

of saintship, 102 

Every man that hath the Spirit, hath it not in this 

manner, 103 

Sixteenthly, A man may have faith, and yet be but 

almost a christian, 105 

Saving faith, what called, 106 

Common faith, what 107 

Seventeenthly, A man may have a love to the peo- 
ple of God, and yet be bid almost a christian* 11C 



226 CONTENTS. 

What love to the children of God is a true love, ill 

For what an almost christian loves a saint, 113 

His love carnal, 114 

Eighteenthly, a man may obey the commands of 

God, and yet be but almost a christian, 114 

True obedience hath a threefold property, it is evan- 
gelical, universal, continual, 115 
Nineteenthly, A man may he sanctified, and yet be 

but almost a christian, 119 

Twentiethly, A man may do all (as to external duties 
and worship) that a true christian can, and yet 
be but almost a christian, 122 

"Wherein the difference between them doth lie, 122 

Quest. 2. Whence it is that many go far, and yet no 

farther ! 128 

What difference between a natural conscience and 
a renewed conscience ? Answered in several 
particulars, 133 

Quest. 3. Whence is it that many are but almost 

christians, when they have gone thus far ? 147 
For want of right conviction, 147 

Hew to fenow whether our conviction is only from a 

natural conscience, or from uie spirit, 148 

Spiritual conviction an essential part of sound con- 
version, * 52 
Slight and common convictions are the cause of 

great hypocrisy, 153 

Quest 4. What is the reason that many go no farther 
in the profession of religion, than to be almost 
christians ! 157 

1, It is because a man mistakes his own state and 

condition, 157 

Five rises of this mistake, 253 

Four reasons more, why it is many go no further 

than to be almost christians, 362 

Application. 
% Inference, Salvation is not so easy a thing as it 

is imagined to be, ICG 

2. Inference, what shall be the end of them who fall 

short of these ? 369 



CONTENTS, 227 

I. Use of Examination, 1 70 

Two questions we should often put to ourselves, 

What am I ! Where am I ? 171 

Cogent arguments for self examination, 172 

Quest. How shall I come to know whether I am an 
almost or an altogether christian ? Answered in 
eight panic. Irs, 175 

2. Use of Caution. 

To take heed of being almost, and yet but an almost 

christian, 182 

This condition, of all others, greatly unprofitable, ex- 
ceedingly uncomfortable, desperately danger- 
ous, 182 
3. Use of Exhortation. 

To be not only almost, but altogether christians, 

under which are five motives, 196 

Directions for obtaining a thorough work in the heart, 
the being not only almost but altogether chris- 
tians, 218 






OCT 14 1901 



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